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A COMPREHENSIVE PLOT GUIDE OF
THE LEGACY OF KAIN SERIES
Version 16.00
By LOKFanatic
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WARNING: THIS PLOT GUIDE CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR: -
'BLOOD OMEN: LEGACY OF KAIN'
'LEGACY OF KAIN: SOUL REAVER'
'SOUL REAVER 2 -THE LEGACY OF KAIN SERIES-'
'BLOOD OMEN 2 -THE LEGACY OF KAIN SERIES-'
'LEGACY OF KAIN: DEFIANCE'
IT IS STRONGLY ADVISED THAT YOU PLAY THE GAMES FIRST.
THE BEST INTRODUCTION TO THE LOK SERIES IS IN THE GAMES.
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ATTENTION:
THIS IS PLOT GUIDE AND HENCE ONLY *PLOT-RELATED*
QUESTIONS SHOULD BE SENT TO MY E-MAIL ADDRESS.
DO NOT SEND GAMEPLAY QUESTIONS.
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Table of Contents
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1. Introduction
2. Update History
3. BLOOD OMEN: LEGACY OF KAIN [1996]
i) The Plot
ii) Conclusions
iii) Observations (54)
4. LEGACY OF KAIN: SOUL REAVER [1999]
i) The Plot
ii) Conclusions
iii) Observations (69)
5. SOUL REAVER 2 -THE LEGACY OF KAIN SERIES- [2001]
i) The Plot
ii) Conclusions
iii) Observations (85)
6. BLOOD OMEN 2 -THE LEGACY OF KAIN SERIES- [2002]
i) The Plot
ii) Conclusions
iii) Observations (135)
7. LEGACY OF KAIN: DEFIANCE [2003]
i) The Plot
ii) Conclusions
iii) Observations (169)
8. Question and Answer Section
i) General Series Questions (49)
ii) Blood Omen: Legacy Of Kain (26)
iii) Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (22)
iv) Soul Reaver 2 -The Legacy Of Kain Series- (33)
v) Blood Omen 2 -The Legacy Of Kain Series- (28)
vi) Legacy of Kain: Defiance (53)
9. FAQS by LOKFanatic
10. Authorised Sites
11. Contact
12. Copyright
13. Credits
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1. Introduction
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This is a plot guide for the Legacy of Kain series. Designed to help guide
all those confused LOK ('Legacy of Kain' for the not so bright) fans out
there through the elaborate Legacy of Kain series plot, this plot guide
includes detailed plot summaries, observations and analyses of all of the LOK
games released so far. There is also question and answer section to answer
some of the more confusing aspects of the series' plot.
So after a few months, dozens of headaches, neck cramps and comas, here we
are. I present to you, the Comprehensive Plot Guide of the Legacy of Kain
Series!
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2. Update History
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Version 1.00 Completed Friday 22nd August 2003
Finished all sections. Awaiting more questions and LOK: Defiance.
Version 2.00 Completed Wednesday 27th August 2003
Added Credits section. Expanded Observations and added more questions. Made
grammatical corrections.
Version 3.00 Completed Saturday 6th September 2003
Added more questions and Observations.
Version 4.00 Completed Saturday 13th September 2003
More Observations. Added interesting observations from readers including an
answer from 'Eric Chinault' on what the Seer's favour to Vorador is.
Version 5.00 Completed Saturday 20th September 2003
Thanks to 'ovejaelectrica', I have more SR2 Observations (As if there weren't
enough already, *40?!*)
Version 6.00 Completed Saturday 4th October 2003
More questions and observations plus a confirmed release date for Defiance!
18th November 2003 for the US! 45 days to go! Unfortunately, I live in the UK
and so I won't get it until after that so it may be a while before I update
with Defiance and allow Defiance questions.
Version 7.00 Completed Saturday 18th October 2003
Made the observations slightly easier to read. Added more observations and
questions. Several people have been sending me HTML e-mails recently. I can't
read these so don't send me them. 'ovejaelectrica' writes in to say that the
UK release date is 28th November. So, 31 days to go in the US and 41 days to
go in the UK until Defiance is released!
Version 8.00 Completed Monday 10th November 2003
Made grammatical corrections and improved sentence structure in plot
summaries. Reworded the Authorised Sites section. Added more observations and
questions. Defiance's US release date has been moved forward to 12th
November! That makes 2 days to go! Hopefully for European fans, like myself,
the European release date will also be moved forward. Just to remind people,
don't send me e-mails concerning Defiance until I have posted the version of
the Plot Guide with the completed Defiance section.
Version 9.00 Completed Friday 20th February 2004
Added a lot of new observations and questions to the BO, SR, SR2 and BO2 but
most significantly is that this is the Defiance update! The Defiance plot
summary, conclusions, observations and questions are up. Apologies for taking
so long but Defiance didn't come out in PAL regions until 6th February (not
28th November 2003 as was previously reported). Add to this the time I needed
to complete the game, analyse the story and rewrite other sections in light
of Defiance. You are all now free to send me Defiance related e-mails. Now
awaiting Defiance questions and Legacy of Kain 6.
Version 10.00 Completed Tuesday 9th March 2004
Added more observations and questions. Made grammatical corrections and
rephrased some sentences. Noticed some sections were still pre-Defiance and
amended according. Some surprising news this update, after almost ten years
of working on LOK, it was announced that Amy Hennig decided to move on and is
leaving Crystal Dynamics to join Naughty Dog. She will be greatly missed by
avid LOK fans around the world. In her place are Jen Fernandez, Richard
Lemarchand and Kyle Mannerberg, these three are very knowledgeable about the
series and Amy has left them her golden archive of LOK plot notes.
Version 11.00 Completed Saturday 3rd April 2004
Added more observations and questions as usual. Revised several sections. A
new album from the Information Society as been released that includes Ozar
Midrashim! It's called 'Pure Energy: The Very Best of the Information
Society'.
Version 12.00 Completed Saturday 8th May 2004
Did the usual additions. Revised the Defiance conclusions. 'C.Conliffe'
pointed out to me an error regarding the name of the character welding a
cardboard tube in Penny Arcade. Added Time Streamer to recommended sites.
Expanded several questions thanks to enlightening information in a Q&A from
Jen and Kyle on the Eidos Forums.
Version 13.00 Completed Saturday 17th July 2004
(For the superstitious of you, this is Version 12.50) Apologies concerning
the lack of updates in the past two months. I've been quite busy and as such
your e-mails may not be answered quickly. Made the usual observation and
question additions. Rewrote some sections of the Defiance plot summary. Fixed
an error in the Q&A section where I said Azimuth was the Nature Guardian.
'Melchiah' has written an excellent story guide on GameFAQs that I suggest
you have a look at.
Version 14.00 Completed Saturday 14th August 2004
Wow, this Plot Guide is almost one years' old. Just a reminder to you all
that this is not a gameplay FAQ and so please don't send me questions on
gameplay as several people have done recently. Also, please read through all
the questions and observations thoroughly before e-mailing me a question.
Anyway, did the usual observation and updates (and exceeded 100(!)
observations for Defiance!), plus now I've put in the number of observations
and questions on the contents section so that you readers can find out more
easily if these have been updated in future versions. Rewrote some of the
less descriptive parts of the Plot summaries.
Version 15.00 Completed Saturday 15th January 2005
Whoa, it's been a long time since the last update. Added a notice at the
start of the Plot Guide informing people not to send gameplay questions to my
e-mail address after receiving the 73682638th e-mail asking for gameplay
help. Moved this update history up earlier in the Plot Guide under the
suspicion that people don't read this since it was near the end. Added more
observations and questions. Added several new features - year of release next
to game section header, and the rear box synopsis of the games into the
introductory paragraph of each game section. Also, I'd just like to point out
to readers that Dark Chronicle has now an excellent SR map made by 'The
Necronoir' and Nosgothic Realm have the BO2 map from the intro FMV pieced
together from several screenshots.
Version 16.00 Completed Saturday 13th August 2005
The two year anniversary of this Plot Guide approaches. Apologies for the
lack of updates but there has been a lack of development of news in the LOK
world recently and I haven't been receiving as many questions as I used to.
Given the lack of news of a new LOK game at E3, I have to presume that a LOK
game will not be released this year. Added several new observations and
questions, revised a couple of answers, corrected some release dates and
rewrote some sections of the plot summaries.
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3. BLOOD OMEN: LEGACY OF KAIN [1996]
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Platforms: Sony Playstation, PC (Sega Saturn version cancelled)
First Released: 15th November 1996 (US), 1st March 1997 (UK)
Classification: M (US), 18+ (UK)
Published by: Activision/Crystal Dynamics
Developed by: Silicon Knights and Crystal Dynamics
Directed by: Denis Dyack
Produced by: Andy Trapani and Rosaura Sandoval
Music by: Steve Henifin
Written by: Denis Dyack and Ken McCulloch
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'An Eternity of Midnights
You're the vampire Kain, damned to feast upon the blood
of man. Steel yourself for an epic quest that will drag
you to the depths of depravity.'
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In mid 1993, Denis Dyack came up with a concept for a game called 'The
Pillars of Nosgoth'. Later, it was renamed to 'Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain'
and a decision was made to develop it for Playstation. Released in 1996, this
game places the player as an assassinated nobleman turned vampire, called
Kain, in his quest for vengeance and a cure from his vampirism.
The first Legacy of Kain title, this one is quite different from the rest
from the LOK series. This game is an overhead 2D action game. Not all LOK
fans have this game because either they are put off by the 32 bit graphics,
long load times or simply because they can't find it (I should know, it took
me *months* to find it in a bargain bin). Whilst most of the game is spent in
the 2D world, there are 15 Full Motion Videos in the game, totalling 35
minutes in all, which can be re viewed in the Dark Diary.
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i) The Plot
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'THERE IS A MAGICAL
OPERATION OF MAXIMUM
IMPORTANCE: THE INITIATION
OF A NEW AEON. WHEN IT BECOMES
NECESSARY TO UTTER A WORD
THE WHOLE PLANET MUST BE
BATHED IN BLOOD..'
In a field somewhere in the land of Nosgoth, the Sarafan, a holy order of
warrior priests sworn to eliminate 'the Vampire Plague', are placing staked
poles with vampires impaled upon them for all to see.
This scene is being watched through a basin of water by six members of the
Circle of Nine, a group of nine sorcerers sworn to protect the Pillars of
Nosgoth, an ancient edifice that preserves the health of the land.
Suddenly, the vampire Vorador bursts into the room and impales the nearest
Guardian with his sword. He then proceeds to kill the rest of the Guardians
with his magic powers hurling one guardian across the room and stripping
another of their flesh. The Guardians' own magic appears to be useless
against the vampire and they call for the Conflict Guardian Malek to protect
them.
However, he is nowhere to be seen. As Vorador draws the blood of the last
sorcerer into his mouth, Malek finally appears but finds all 6 Guardians
dead. Vorador suddenly appears behind him and strikes him down.
For failing the Circle, Malek is then put on trial. Mortanius the
Necromancer, Guardian of the Death Pillar, sentences Malek to serve the
Circle for all eternity. His soul is fused to his armour leaving his body
reduced to a skeleton.
5000 years later (note: this was later changed by Crystal Dynamics to 500
years), Ariel, the Balance Guardian is suddenly stabbed by an unseen
assassin. The Pillars of Nosgoth proceed to turn from pristine white to
cracked black.
Years later, in a tavern in the town of Ziegsturhl, a nobleman named Kain is
refused to be served. The barman refuses to be open at such late a time at
night. Leaving dejectedly, Kain is then suddenly ambushed by several
brigands. Kain tries to fight them off but eventually he is knocked down and
impaled in the back by his assassins' Iron Sword.
In the fiery Underworld, Kain awakens and finds himself chained up to two
posts, still with his assassins' sword still impaled through his chest.
Mortanius approaches him and offers to resurrect Kain so that he can exact
vengeance upon his assassins. Burning with anger, Kain accepts blindly.
Mortanius removes the sword from Kain and releases him. As Kain takes the
sword, he undergoes a sudden transformation as his skin and hair decay and
his Iron Armour changes colour from white to black. Kain walks through the
raging fires of the Underworld.
Returning to the world of the living, Kain discovers that the Necromancer has
transformed him into a vampire and as such has their weaknesses such as
extreme vulnerability to water and light. Undeterred, Kain proceeds to find
his assassins, who are given a great shock at seeing the dead man walk
towards them.
Discovering his new vampiric strength, Kain easily kills his assassins and
drinks their blood to restore his strength. Kain believes his quest is now
over but Mortanius corrects him. He tells Kain that his assassins were merely
the instruments of his murder, not the cause. He sends Kain to the Pillars of
Nosgoth for answers.
On the way to the Pillars, Kain contemplates how Mortanius had not given him
any warning of what his resurrection would entail. But Kain knows that his
burning lust for vengeance would have ignored any warning. Kain hopes to get
the answers he desires at the Pillars.
Kain arrives at the Pillars of Nosgoth and is struck by the beauty of them.
There he meets the spirit of the long dead Balance Guardian Ariel, half her
face scarred. Kain is initially apprehensive of her but Ariel alleviates his
fears. She tells Kain that following her murder, her lover Nupraptor, the
Mind Guardian, was driven to insanity upon discovering her body and due to
his being the Mind Guardian, he infected the other Guardians with his
madness.
Since the Pillars of Nosgoth reflect the mental state of their Guardians, the
Pillars became corrupted as the Guardians turned their powers to evil in
their madness. Ariel tells Kain that he must kill all 9 Guardians of the
Pillars in order to restore the Pillars, bring balance to the world and thus
find peace for himself.
Kain tells Ariel that he doesn't care about the fate of Nosgoth so Ariel
tells him that he should do this for himself. Before vanishing, she
enigmatically warns Kain about the 'Unspoken'.
Believing that killing the Guardians will cure him of his vampiric curse,
Kain proceeds to Nupraptor's Retreat. On the way, Kain gains the ability to
assume a Bat Form and fly to places in Nosgoth at will.
Further on, he passes the filthy town of Steinchencroe; one which he would
have never visited as a human. Now, as a vampire, he considers that he
himself now to be no better than its inhabitants.
In the town, he encounters a strange man, stirring a pot. He tells Kain that
although he is an outsider, if he knows how to look, he will find those who
will speak to him.
Arriving at the town of Vasserbunde, Kain sees a waterfall above which lies
the large skull shaped fortress of Nupraptor's Retreat, looming over
Vasserbunde.
As Kain heads towards the Retreat, he hears screams. He smiles at this; for
once, someone is suffering more than he is.
Kain learns that Nupraptor was once renowned for his telekinetic and
telepathic abilities and was sought after by many pilgrims from all over
Nosgoth. But Kain does not seek his powers but rather his death.
Somehow, Nupraptor is aware of Kain when he enters the retreat and demands
that he leave so that he can mourn in peace.
Inside the retreat, Kain finds one of Nupraptor's serving girls, petrified
and bloodied, chained to the wall. She explains to Kain that after Ariel's
murder, Nupraptor sewed his eyes and mouth shut in order to close out the
outside world. He now cares about nothing but himself. Kain knows that this
serving girl's scars will never heal; killing her would be in mercy.
Throughout the retreat, Kain is horrified to discover the piles of corpses
that Nupraptor leaves around his keep nonchalantly, considering it to be a
great waste of blood.
Kain finds the interior of the eyes of the retreat and looks through them. He
discovers strangely that whilst one eye portrays Nosgoth as it is, the other
is a warped and twisted parody. Kain muses that the warped image of Nosgoth
is little worse than the true Nosgoth.
Once Kain finds Nupraptor, he also finds Malek guarding him but the Mentalist
quickly dismisses Malek claiming that he will just fail him just like he did
to the Circle years ago. Malek obeys and leaves, leaving Kain to chase
Nupraptor into another room. In there, Nupraptor fires balls of energy at
Kain but he evades them and manages to strike at the Mentalist with his
sword, severing his head from his body. Kain takes his head back to the
Pillars as proof to Ariel that he has done the deed.
Back at the Pillars, Kain places Nupraptor's head before the Pillar of the
Mind and as it dissolves into the Pillar, it returns to its original pristine
white colour as it is restored.
Kain realizes that even though he has now destroyed the source of the
Circle's corruption, the corruption has forever tainted them and that it is
beyond redemption. All the members of the Circle need to be killed in order
to restore the Pillars.
But before Kain can even think about challenging any other members of the
Circle of Nine, he realizes that he will need to dispose of their protector
Malek the Paladin, who resides in his bastion far in the snowy mountains to
the north.
Ariel tells Kain that every Guardian has a token that binds them to their
Pillar. For Nupraptor, it was his head. A token from every Guardian is
required to heal the Pillars.
On the way to the former Sarafan's fortress, Kain returns to his former
hometown Coorhagen, now infected by a plague, with disease ridden corpses
littering the roads. Rumours of a disease destroying remote villages to the
east had reached Coorhagen but the rumours failed to prepare the city for the
plague. Worms and maggots are feeding on the corpses, and the blood is
tainted. Kain, beginning to embrace his vampirism, merely considers this as
'good blood gone bad'.
Reaching the mountains, Kain spots Malek's Bastion upon a snow topped
mountain. Kain wonders what kind of man would choose to live in such a harsh
lifeless environment.
Arriving in Malek's Bastion, Kain is taunted by the sound of Malek's voice.
He is attacked by suits of armour fused to the souls of lost dead warriors,
much like Malek but paling in comparison to his skill. Kain finds himself
weakened by being attacked by these soldiers and being unable to draw blood
from them to heal his wounds.
Kain proceeds to deactivate the machines that are fusing Malek's soldiers'
souls to the armour, all the while being taunted by the Paladin himself.
After destroying the power source to the machines, Kain goes to destroy Malek
himself.
On the way to the Paladin's throne room, Kain passes the long dead and frozen
solid guards at a doorway. Upon arriving in the throne room, he is greeted by
a grinning corpse. Malek claims this to be his corpse but Malek is far more
interested in Kain's corpse than his own.
Kain battles Malek and manages to knock Malek down, scattering the armour
across the floor. However, Malek reforms himself and continues the battle.
Kain battles on but every time he manages to knock Malek down, the armour
reforms. Eventually Kain forced to retreat via a nearby teleporter when Malek
summons a huge wave of energy that he cannot dodge. Empty handed, Kain flies
back to the Pillars in Bat Form and returns to Ariel.
Ariel sends Kain to the Oracle of Nosgoth who can give him information about
Malek. Kain goes east of Malek's Bastion to find the Oracle within a huge
complex network of caves. While exploring the caves, Kain comes across
various artefacts such as shields, armour, a blood stained guillotine and a
book. Reading the book, Kain learns how years ago, the Circle of Nine formed
the Sarafan Order to counter the 'vampire plague' and how effectively the
Sarafan, led by Malek, had exterminated vampires. The book claims that their
righteous wrath was second to none. Disgusted, Kain stops reading.
Arriving within a room with a cauldron, Kain meets the Oracle himself, a
hooded old man welding a staff. Kain demands answers but the Oracle appears
to take it too literally and asks for the questions to these answers he
gives.
'King Ottmar - the only hope to defeat the Legions of the Nemesis.
King Ottmar - paralysed by his Princess' malaise.
King Ottmar - the useless.'
Kain ignores the Oracle's words and demands to know who Malek is and how to
defeat him. The Oracle tells Kain that Malek is the last of the Sarafan, that
Malek is the protector of the Circle of Nine and that he once failed to
protect the Circle from Vorador causing his eternal sentence of the fusion of
soul to his armour. He claims that Malek has since allowed no member of the
Circle to fall ever since the massacre. Kain asks where Vorador is; the
Oracle tells Kain to follow the glow of 'Ignis Fatuus' to the Termogent
Forest. The Oracle then disappears leaving Kain alone in the cave.
Kain decides to find Vorador for aid in defeating Malek. Kain arrives in the
Termogent Forest to discover that the sunlight barely penetrates the trees.
Kain wonders as to the reason why Vorador would choose to live in such a
dangerous place seeing as the swamp is so perilous to himself.
Once Kain enters the ancient vampire's mansion, he is amazed by the luxury
and wealth that Vorador surrounds himself with. It is vastly superior to the
nobility of his former court. Exploring the vampire's mansion, Kain comes
across Vorador's brides who are nothing more than pets to him.
Further along, Kain finds Vorador's pantry, a room filled with men and women
dangling from meat hooks and chained to the walls. Kain finds his blood
thirst to be overwhelmed by the abundance. Kain learns of the sadistic nature
of Vorador when he arrives in a torture room with splattered with the blood
of humans all over the walls. The room echoes with dying screams and the
laughter of the vampire himself. On one of the walls, written in blood, is
'Manus Celer Dei'.
In the mansion, Kain finds a book telling how the number of vampires grew to
a number that alarmed the Circle of Nine. Hence they created the Sarafan
Order (also known as the Angels of Light) and thus the Vampire Purge began.
Arriving in Vorador's dining room, Kain finally meets the great vampire
himself. Kain is horrified by Vorador's inhuman appearance considering it to
be a vision of his future self. Vorador is glad to meet another vampire as it
is a rare occurrence for him nowadays, especially such a young and arrogant
one as Kain. He offers a goblet of blood to Kain, sending it over to him
telekinetically. Kain discovers that Vorador believes that vampires are gods
and humans are merely sacrifices for the vampires to enjoy and a means to
prolong their lives. Deep inside, Kain agrees with him even though he still
considers vampirism a curse not a blessed gift as Vorador claims.
Vorador begins an account of how he killed 6 of the Circle of Nine and
defeated their protector Malek. He then warns Kain not to meddle in the
affairs of man as it only brings further vampire crusades and unnecessary
hardships for vampires. Vorador then gives Kain his ring so if Kain ever
needs assistance, then the ring will summon him. Vorador then demands Kain to
leave.
Kain leaves the mansion with an ally for the future and the knowledge of what
he will become should his vampirism consume him.
Outside, Mortanius informs Kain through telepathy that there are three
Guardians to the north, who are twisting and shaping the land with their
powers to create a Dark Eden of theirs.
On the way, Kain passes the town of Uschtenheim, where it was rumoured that
long ago that the oldest vampire, Janos Audron, was born. In this town, he
preyed upon the humans until one day he was hunted down and killed when his
heart was torn out of his body.
Leaving Uschtenheim, Kain approaches Dark Eden, surrounded by a magic shell
continuously expanding and consuming the healthy land around into a twisted
parody. If not stopped, the shell will eventually consume all of Nosgoth.
Various sick and twisted mutants, created by the trio in Dark Eden,
repeatedly attack Kain on his journey there. Kain finds himself in admiration
for the creatively of these mutants.
When Kain passes through the shell surrounding Dark Eden, he is unharmed,
presumably because the shell only affects living beings or, as Kain muses,
because he himself is already twisted enough.
Progressing through Dark Eden, Kain finally arrives at the castle of the
three Guardians. At the top stands a tower, spewing out the energy that
desecrates the land below.
Exploring the castle, Kain finds it to be far larger on the inside than on
the outside, apparently due to the powers that the Guardians have to distort
space. Kain also finds the laboratory of Anarcrothe, the Guardian of States.
Within are pickled and dissected corpses and metal constructs. Kain senses
the presence of more than one being. He finds it odd that a sorcerer like
Anarcrothe would choose to work with others.
Finally confronting the three Guardians, Kain finds them to be, Dejoule the
Energist, Bane the Druid and Anarcrothe the Alchemist, Guardians of Energy,
Nature and States respectively. He is pleased that they have shortened his
search for all 9 Guardians. Dejoule and Bane are keen to face Kain but
Anarcrothe flees and summons Malek to protect them. Annoyed by the
Alchemist's cowardice, Kain uses Vorador's ring to summon the old vampire.
Malek exclaims that he will finally gain revenge on Vorador for his eternity
of suffering. Vorador replies that Malek has no idea what an eternity of
suffering is and demands that he grovel before him. Malek refuses and
threatens Vorador that he will dissect him and feed what's left to his
brides.
Kain catches sight of Dejoule and Bane fleeing and he pursues. The two old
foes battle each other, each displaying exceptional combat ability and use of
magic. As Malek manages to nick Vorador with his pike, the vampire turns to
Wolf Form and leaps on Malek...
Bane, knowing Kain's weakness, turns the ground under his feet into water.
Kain however transforms into his Mist form then quickly runs up to Bane and
kills him. Dejoule fires energy bolts at Kain but he protects himself with a
Repel spell and fires his own energy bolts at her. After the two sorcerers
are dead, Kain takes Bane's headdress and Dejoule's cloak, to be used in
restoring their Pillars.
Returning to Vorador and Malek, Kain finds the Sarafan's armour scattered on
the floor with Vorador nowhere to be seen. Vorador had apparently 'killed'
the Conflict Guardian. Taking Malek's helmet, Kain returns to the Pillars and
restores the Pillars of Conflict, Nature and Energy, each returning to
pristine white states.
Ariel then tells Kain the location of the next Guardian, Azimuth the Planar,
the Guardian of Dimension; Avernus Cathedral. The Cathedral lies in the heart
of the holy city of Avernus, where he will find three special items.
Approaching Avernus, Kain finds it in a chaotic state with buildings burning
to ground and burnt corpses lying everywhere. Kain soon finds the source of
this catastrophe, when he is attacked by demons from another dimension,
apparently summoned by Azimuth. After killing them, Kain approaches Avernus
Cathedral, the only building left intact as the demons apparently knew better
than to attack the place from where they came.
Navigating the Cathedral and its 'heaven' and 'hell' levels, Kain finds the
'Soul Reaver', a legendary weapon which thrives by consuming the souls of its
victims and the Wraith Armour, which uses magic to reduce the damage that
Kain sustains.
Deep within the Cathedral, Kain comes across a strange book with someone's
bloody handprints upon it. It talks about a god named 'Hash'ak'gik' demanding
the blood of its worshippers' first born otherwise they would face its wrath
eternally. Ominously, the book tells that this was actually done.
As Kain is walking through the Cathedral, he suddenly notices a stained glass
ceiling above him depicting the battle between Vorador and Malek, all those
years ago.
After finally meeting Azimuth, she comments on how she thinks the Soul Reaver
and Wraith Armour would be better in her possession before teleporting
elsewhere. Finding her, she summons many demons to attack Kain but once he
dispatches of them, Azimuth herself is easily killed. After taking her third
eye as the restoration token of the Pillar of Dimension, Kain curiously finds
a Time Streaming Device nearby.
Returning to the Pillars and restoring the Pillar of Dimension, Ariel
explains how Azimuth stole the Time Steaming Device from Moebius, the
Guardian of Time, to bring demons from other time eras.
She then goes on to warn Kain of the approaching Legions of the Nemesis
devastating everything in their path. She explains about how the Nemesis, not
so long ago, was once William the Just, a kind and caring ruler but was
corrupted by power and so began a conquest of Nosgoth.
She urges Kain to gain the support of King Ottmar of Willendorf and his army,
the only force in Nosgoth capable of stopping the Nemesis. Following Ariel's
advice, Kain ignores Vorador's counsel of staying out of human matters and
proceeds to Willendorf.
As Kain heads to Willendorf, Mortanius contacts him and tells him that his
quest ahead is now his and his alone. Mortanius can no longer help him.
Kain attempts to enter Willendorf with his regular human disguise spell but
is refused entry. Apparently, only figures of noble heritage are allowed
entry into the city.
Kain discovers that Willendorf was involved in digging and mining in some
mines nearby. In the process they had uncovered many secrets and metals.
Kain hears about an ancient tomb of one of King Ottmar's ancestors deep
underground. He enters the Provincial Mines and finds a blood fountain there,
which gives him 'Beguile', a disguise giving Kain an appearance of nobility.
With this disguise Kain is able to enter the great city. Within he stops by a
library and finds only two books that interest him. The first speaks of the
Circle of Nine protecting the Pillars of Nosgoth. Kain learns from the book
that the Pillars have a preserving effect upon Nosgoth. Whenever a member of
the Circle dies, the Circle is broken until a worthy successor is born to
replace him/her.
The other book speaks of a strange cult that travelled around Nosgoth with
tales of human possession soon following them. The book does not tell Kain
who the god that they worshipped was.
Within the Palace of King Ottmar, Kain heads towards the throne but a man
bars his passage, telling him that the King is mourning and will see no one.
Kain grabs him, pushes aside and heads into the throne room, he sees Ottmar,
mourning for his daughter, who lies motionless on a bed before him. Ottmar
tells that on his daughter's birthday he declared a contest to create the
finest doll in all of Nosgoth. The winner would be granted a royal favour.
The winner was Elzevir the Dollmaker and he simply accepted a lock of the
Princess' as his prize.
Soon after, the Princess lost her soul and became a lifeless puppet. Ottmar
himself became depressed and not caring about anything but his daughter.
Ottmar offers his kingdom to the one who restores his daughter. Kain leaves
to find the Dollmaker.
Kain muses that in his court, Ottmar would have been replaced but here in
Willendorf, they worshipped him. Kain wonders what will happen when Ottmar
dies.
Kain realises that in their current state Ottmar's Armies of Hope will not be
able to fight the Legions of the Nemesis, as they are all scattered
throughout Nosgoth busy searching for the Dollmaker. He hears of a tunnel
that will take him to where it is suspected Elzevir resides.
Kain goes in search of the Dollmaker to the north. On the way he passes
Stahlberg, once one of Nosgoth's most academic cities now laid to waste by
the Nemesis.
In the ironically named Lake of Lost Souls, Kain finds the Dollmaker's
mansion and meets the odd little man himself. The Dollmaker summons animated
dolls to attack Kain but Kain destroys them all, kills Elzevir and
decapitates him. Kain finds that Elzevir imprisoned the Princess' soul inside
a doll and wonders about his motives.
Kain returns to Willendorf with the Dollmaker's head in one hand and the doll
in the other much to the great delight of the King. Ottmar's sorcerers
quickly restore the Princess' soul to her body. Ottmar offers his kingdom to
Kain but he refuses asking for his army instead. Ottmar agrees and joins Kain
in his battle against the Legions of the Nemesis.
In a battlefield somewhere, the Legions of the Nemesis are approaching the
Armies of Hope. King Ottmar gives words of encouragement to his army before
launching into battle. In the battle, Kain's blood thirst is overwhelmed by
the dying soldiers everywhere.
Willendorf's soldiers fight valiantly but are soon overpowered by the
Nemesis' troops. Soon, the King himself is killed, fearing for the safety of
his daughter and Nosgoth in his last moments. The Armies of Hope flee into
the forests and now Nosgoth belongs to the Nemesis. With no other option,
Kain uses the Time Steaming Device that he found on Azimuth, to escape.
Soon, the ground that was once covered in blood and dirt becomes greenery and
everything becomes quiet. The Time Steaming Device lies in pieces at Kain's
feet; he is apparently stranded in this time era. After killing a human, Kain
looks into his mind and sees Moebius at a rally near a castle, demanding to
be taken to King William the Just, so he can deal with the vampire scourge.
After the vision ends, Kain walks north to the Land of the Nemesis but finds
it to be the Land of William the Just. Kain realizes that he has been
transported 50 years back in time. Kain decides to kill the young William the
Just so that in 50 years time, the Nemesis will not exist.
Inside William's castle, Kain finds Moebius talking to William, he warns him
about Kain and gives him the Soul Reaver. Moebius and William leave the room.
As Kain confronts the future Nemesis, the two warriors both battle with the
Soul Reaver, with Kain coming out the victor. Confident that he has changed
history for the better, Kain kills the guards rushing to save William. Almost
too conveniently, Kain finds another Time Steaming Device and returns to his
time.
Outside William's stronghold, there is no sign of battle. But Kain senses
something is wrong, to the south, he can hear screams and the odour of
vampiric blood. Encountering vampire hunters, Kain realizes that by killing
their beloved King, he incited the rage and vengefulness of the humans to
such an extent that they began a genocidal crusade against vampires.
On the way to the place Kain hears the cheers, he passes the city of
Stahlberg, in this timeline, untouched by the armies of the Nemesis.
Kain proceeds to a huge mob where Vorador is beheaded by guillotine. The
executioner proudly holds the severed head in the air. In a shocking
revelation Moebius reveals that Kain is the last vampire in Nosgoth and sends
the mob after him. After dispatching of the mob, Kain realizes that Moebius
is the Oracle of Nosgoth and by following his advice, that Moebius had
successfully orchestrated his entire journey.
After disposing of warriors summoned by Moebius from the past, present and
future, confronts the Time Streamer himself. Moebius tells Kain that he has
seen Kain's future, in it he dies; but Kain tells Moebius he is already dead,
just as Moebius is. Kain swiftly decapitates him and takes Moebius'
hourglass. Mortanius congratulates Kain and summons him back to the Pillars
for the 'grand finale' where he shall finally gain his revenge. Kain flies in
Bat form back to the Pillars.
At the Pillars, Kain finds Mortanius and Anarcrothe arguing. Hiding behind a
Pillar, Kain listens in. Anarcrothe scolds Mortanius for betraying the
Circle, but Mortanius claims that the Circle had to be destroyed because it
had failed its duties. Anarcrothe arrogantly argues that the Circle exists
for them and demands Mortanius join him or die. Mortanius refuses. Anarcrothe
fires green blasts of energy at Mortanius but the Necromancer merely absorbs
them before launching an electrical attack upon Anarcrothe, slamming him into
a Pillar and telekinetically snapping his spine.
Kain reveals himself and says that Mortanius himself will have to be killed
for the Circle to be restored. Mortanius accepts his fate but before he does
battle with Kain, he tells him that after his death, there is still one
Guardian remaining. The Necromancer summons the undead to attack Kain but
Kain destroys them and proceeds to Mortanius himself. Kain attacks Mortanius
and is about to deliver the killing stroke when Mortanius suddenly mutates
into a huge black demon. This 'Dark Entity' is the Unspoken Ariel warned Kain
about.
The Unspoken taunts Kain about only being a pawn and reveals that he killed
Ariel. It claims this has all been a play of his in which Kain is the tragic
hero. In defiance, Kain raises his sword and yells 'Vae Victus!'
Kain quickly picks up Anarcrothe's Scales and Mortanius' Death Orb as the
Unspoken dives into the ground and comes up quickly to attack Kain with its
own body. Kain only just manages to dodge and vanquish the demon.
With the dissolution of Anarcrothe's Scales and Mortanius' Death Orb into
their respective Pillars, now all the Pillars have been restored; except one.
The Pillar of Balance.
Kain realizes that he is the Guardian of Balance. He has two choices. Kill
himself and restore the Pillar of Balance but ensure the extinction of the
vampire race or not kill himself preserving the vampire race but condemning
Nosgoth to an eternity of decay. Nosgoth will be healed or damned at his sole
decision.
Unwilling to see the extinction of vampires and alienated from his former
humanity, Kain decides to preserve his life and rule Nosgoth in its
corruption. The Pillars collapse and Nosgoth is damned to an eternity of
decay. Kain sits on a throne in front of the Pillars drinking a goblet of
blood. Kain realizes that Vorador was right, that vampires are Gods with the
duty of ruling the humans.
#################
ii) Conclusions
#################
1. The Pillar Guardians Nupraptor, Malek, Bane, Dejoule, Azimuth, Moebius,
Anarcrothe and Mortanius are all dead. Kain is the last remaining corrupted
Guardian.
2. The Soul Reaver is in the possession of Kain.
3. The Pillars of Nosgoth and Nosgoth are unrestored due to Kain's decision
to not sacrifice himself and instead rule Nosgoth in its damnation.
4. Kain is the last vampire in Nosgoth due to Moebius' Genocidal crusade
against vampires.
#################
iii) Observations
#################
1. It's interesting to see Kain gradually accept being a vampire. Initially,
he considers vampirism a curse and seeks a cure. During the game, he makes
remarks such as 'Life without blood, what a travesty!' By the end of the
game, he has fully accepted becoming a vampire and considers himself a dark
god (unless, of course, you chose the other ending).
2. Moebius claims that Malek has allowed no member of the Circle of Nine to
fall since the Vorador incident. What about Ariel and Nupraptor (who was
killed just a few days ago)? Getting forgetful in your old age, Moebius?
3. In the new timeline, if Kain never needs Ottmar's help to defeat the
Legions of the Nemesis that means that Kain never had a reason to kill
Elzevir and return Ottmar's daughter's soul. It is presumed the Princess'
soul is still imprisoned in the doll.
4. Moebius summons warriors from the past, present and future to attack Kain.
His future warrior is apparently a future version of Kain. Why would a future
version of Kain attack his past self? Several LOK fans have come to the
conclusion that he was merely a conjuration of Moebius' (Notice that he looks
nothing like the Kain in the SR series plus the fact he welds axes rather
than the Soul Reaver). Kain's intended death in SR2 (i.e. on the same
timeline as BO) proves that this doppelganger was not Kain.
5. There are various prestige rankings that the player gains depending on how
many slayings he performs, meals he consumes, mutilations he performs and
secrets gained out of the hundred in the game. The prestige rankings in
ascending order are: - Whelp, Gimp, Princess, Bride, Prince, Bloodhunter,
Count, Baron, Overlord, Saint and Devourer of Worlds. (The BO team claim that
they came up with these late at night)
6. Have a look at the effects that a Guardian's power has on him/her.
Nupraptor's brain is bulging out of his head, Dejoule has become a luminous
being of energy and Anarcrothe's face has been chemically scarred. (Defiance
shows that Mortanius' skeletal features were merely a part of a costume).
7. It's impossible to cheat fate and have Kain kill his assassins before they
kill him. They all keep reappearing infinitely. Kain can't escape either as
some inconsiderate person has carelessly left their food carts at the exits
of Ziegsturhl, barring Kain's exit.
8. Exactly what happened to Ariel's feet? Did Mortanius or the Unspoken have
some kind of feet fetish and decide to cut them off? 'ovejaelectrica' points
out that we never see her feet when she is human. Still it would be rather
difficult for her to walk on stumped legs. It can't be because spirits don't
have legs, seeing as Moebius still has them in Defiance. Oddly, in Defiance,
Ariel's purified form still doesn't have legs (Or her original red clothing),
even though her face is healed...
9. Even though Nupraptor sewed his mouth and eyes shut, he can still see and
talk to people via his psychic powers. Rather pointless doing it in the first
place, then.
10. I'm not sure how Moebius expected any business as the Oracle by situating
himself deep in those caves. The frozen people within the caves are
presumably those wished to seek the wisdom of the Oracle but never made it.
(Or perhaps those who didn't survive the journey out)
11. I wonder whether Malek intentionally built his Bastion upon that snowy
mountain so that (what he thought was) his empty body would be preserved.
12. 'ovejaelectrica' points out that while Malek's body was reduced to a
skeleton in the intro movie, his body is intact in the bastion. Perhaps Malek
was becoming delusional from 500 years of imprisonment in his armour? Several
LOK fans have noticed that there is a skeleton in the hell area of Avernus
that is more likely to be Malek's remains than the frozen corpse in the
Bastion. (Although I do wonder about the likelihood of Mortanius actually
keeping the skeleton there for 500 years.)
13. There are various spells, forms, items, weapons and armours in this game.
However, since many of them are not plot related, they have not been included
in the plot summary.
14. In this game, Kain obtains Janos Audron's Heart of Darkness. Since, it is
not plot related and Kain can gain up to 99 of them, I have decided ignored
it in the plot summary. Update: Crystal Dynamics have said these were only
relics of the actual heart.
15. At the end of the game, the player can actually choose whether Kain
accepts or refuses the sacrifice. If the player accepts the sacrifice, the
game results in an ending in which Nosgoth is restored and Ariel comments on
how Kain was unknown in both life and death yet he saved the world. However,
the sequels have made this ending obsolete so it is not included in the plot
summary.
16. I wonder how long Kain was in the Underworld for. In that time, his
family was contacted and his body moved to his own Mausoleum and put in a
coffin. 'Sol Ace 1' points out that the game timer tells us that it is 4
days.
17. There are different types of blood in this game. Red blood fills Kain's
blood vial, green blood poisons Kain, black blood harms Kain and blue blood
fills Kain's magic levels. The green, black and blue blood don't appear in
BO2 and Defiance.
18. It's never actually said why Kain had travelled so far from his hometown
but it's not a bad guess to assume that it was to escape the plague.
19. 'Daniel J. Smith' points out that Manus Celer Dei is pronounced
incorrectly. Rather than 'Man-noose sell-er Die' it should be pronounced
'Man-noose Kel-ah Day-ee'
20. The Blood Script is based on the Furthark runes. This explains why you
may find what appears to be Blood Script in non-LOK sources. There are only
22 letters, K is the same as C and Q, U and X are non-existent.
21. Many of the game's characters had different names originally. Check out
this link to see what they were. <www.thelostworlds.net/BO1-Early_Names.HTML>
22. Azimuth is the only one of the Guardians who we do not see in an FMV.
Hence, she is the only Guardian who we do not know what truly looks like (its
hard to determine from the 32 bit sprite). 'Ardeth Silvereni' (of the Dark
Chronicle site no less) sent me a scan of a magazine, which showed a CG
render of Azimuth. Makes me wonder whether Azimuth actually did have a FMV
sequence originally.
23. At the end of the credits 'Coffee Guy!' is yelled out. According to Chris
Bruno, Denis Dyack apparently screamed this out every time he spotted the
catering truck in the parking lot.
24. Silicon Knights have said that the scenes with Moebius inciting the crowd
against vampires is meant to resemble Adolf Hitler's Nuremburg Rallies. The
way this is done is through Moebius' speech resembling aspects of Hitler's
speeches and the three red banners behind Moebius (which in Moebius' first
speech have an eagle on).
25. After returning the doll to Ottmar, the player can no longer use Bat Form
hence you cannot flee from the Battle of the Last Stand nor can you fully
explore the Nosgoth of the past or the new Nosgoth. Also, for some reason,
the map seems places Kain's location at Willendorf for the remainder of the
game.
26. The mob Moebius sends after Kain is considerably smaller in game than in
the FMV.
27. For some strange reason, the Big Horn Brothel in Steinchencroe has a room
full of blood on the floor and walls, and people chained to the walls. I'll
leave this to your imagination...
28. No matter how many humans you kill in a city, every remaining human will
keep continue about their business nonchalantly.
29. Vorador has a dragon-snake tattoo on his arm in this game that you cannot
see in any of the other games (as he wears long sleeves in those games).
30. In Dark Eden, Malek threatens to 'hack (Vorador) from crotch to gizzard'.
However, the gizzard is the stomach so hacking someone from crotch to gizzard
isn't actually as impressive as Malek made it sound.
31. You can actually go into the Nemesis' Stronghold before Kain goes back in
time. But there are a lot of locked doors and you can't explore it very much.
32. As pointed out to me by 'Rood Inverse', William has an awfully deep voice
for a 'boy king' as he is called in SR2.
33. Moebius' Hourglass is the only one of the binding items that Kain does
not comment on placing before a Pillar.
34. BO appears to take place during the summer as sunlight lasts from 06:00
to 22:00 and night lasts from 22:00 to 06:00.
35. I was not at all surprised by Mortanius defeating Anarcrothe after seeing
the Alchemist seemingly thinking that green jelly was an effective weapon
against Mortanius. (As a corollary, Mortanius seemed to go overkill on
Anarcrothe. Even after Mortanius' lightning had pierced Anarcrothe, he
proceeded to slam him against one of the Pillars then snap his spine))
36. The post-decision Nosgoth looks considerably worse in the ending FMV than
it does in future games.
37. In William's stronghold, in a room prior to the room where Kain battles
him; William appears to have a map of Nosgoth on the floor (plans for world
domination?) with several knives placed at specific points in Nosgoth (The
Pillars, Stahlberg, Willendorf and Elzevir's mansion).
38. In this game, Moebius' vampire hunters appear to be mainly civilians
equipped with crude weapons such as pitch forks and torches. However in SR2
and Defiance, they appear to be an organised army with uniforms and armed
with swords and pikes.
39. Whether or not you enter a Spirit Forge as Kain or as a being possessed
by Kain, the wraiths refer to you as 'vampire'.
40. Moebius tells Kain, 'I have seen the future, Kain. You are not in it!'
This is obviously contradicted by the sequels. Was Moebius a bad time
streamer or was this just taunting by Moebius? (Or perhaps this is an
indication from Silicon Knights that the ending where Kain sacrifices himself
was their intended true ending?)
41. The scene where Kain is killed by his assassins was originally an FMV.
(Screenshots of it can be found on The Lost Worlds site and the Defiance
Bonus Materials) Kain was also originally blonde as a human. The scene was
apparently cut out since it wasn't working well.
42. This is the only one of the LOK games with constantly passing time (i.e.
having regular day and night cycles). In the other games, the progression of
time is either scripted or none existent.
43. Despite draining them of their blood, the corpses of Kain's victims still
manage to somehow produce a pool of blood on the ground.
44. Perhaps it may be due to the dilapidation of Coorhagen, but we never
really do see which of the houses in the plague stricken city belongs to
Kain.
45. In Coorhagen, there is a building with the image of the Iron Sword on its
floor. Presumably, this is the shop of the Serioli, the people who made the
Iron Sword.
46. Oddly, there appears to be a shotgun (!) in Moebius' museum. Has Moebius
visited our universe?
47. Kain notes that Dark Eden is larger on the inside than on the outside but
fails to notice that that's also the case for the majority of the buildings
in the game!
48. The ruined houses in Dark Eden make me curious as to what villages or
cities were there prior to the Guardians' meddling.
49. Despite being unable to go to Bat Form indoors during the normal course
of the game, Kain manages to do so after collecting Malek's helmet within
Dark Eden! The FMV clearly shows that room has a roof.
50. There is a building in Avernus with the sign 'McCulloch's Tavern'. This
is most likely a reference to Kenneth McCulloch, a Silicon Knights employee
who was an artist, designer and writer on this game.
51. Despite Kain claiming the Iron Armour resists fire, he is still damaged
by standing within fire whilst wearing it.
52. In a nice attention to detail, the traps in William's Stronghold are
switched off in the new Nosgoth era (seeing as there would be no use for them
50 years on)
53. In the new Nosgoth, William's statue has been destroyed. I have to
presume this was due to natural causes since it's unlikely the people would
destroy the statue of their beloved king.
54. The final two Pillars are restored in the wrong order. When Kain picks up
Anarcrothe's scales; the Death Pillar is restored and when Kain picks up
Mortanius' Death Orb; the States Pillar is restored!
#######################################################
4. LEGACY OF KAIN: SOUL REAVER [1999]
#######################################################
Platforms: Sony Playstation, Sega Dreamcast, PC
First Released: 16th August 1999 (US)
Classification: T (US), 15+ (UK)
Published by: Eidos
Developed by: Crystal Dynamics
Directed by: Amy Hennig
Produced by: Amy Hennig, Rosaura Sandoval and Andrew Bennett
Music by: Kurt Harland of the Information Society
Written by: Amy Hennig and Seth Carus
-------------------------------------------------------
'They said the dead know no pain.... Things are about
to change!
Cast down to the material world, the mysterious entity
Raziel seeks vengeance for betrayal by his master Kain.
He must slay his undead brethren; only then can he
absorb their souls for the energy he craves. Moving
between spectral and material plane, Raziel must
negotiate puzzles, overcome traps and defy
blood-chilling enemies to reach his goal - the final
battle with Kain!'
-------------------------------------------------------
For the second Legacy of Kain game, the series was fully handed over to
Crystal Dynamics, after a legal battle that I'm not going to discuss here,
and the 'Legacy of Kain' part was shifted to the front of this title.
A short notice appears after loading up the game that lets gamers know that
while 'Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain' was developed by Silicon Knights, 'Legacy
of Kain: Soul Reaver' (and ergo the rest of the series) was developed by
Crystal Dynamics.
While we do not play as Kain in this title, he makes several appearances in
this game. In this game, we play as one of Kain's ex-lieutenants, Raziel,
executed by an apparently jealous Kain because he evolved before he did.
Raziel is resurrected by a mysterious benefactor and he begins a quest for
revenge upon Kain and his brethren.
The game starts with a beautifully rendered FMV by GlyphX. The main game is a
3D action/adventure game with beautiful architecture, which morphs as our
main character Raziel shifts between Spectral and Material realms.
############
i) The Plot
############
At least a thousand years after choosing to condemn the world by not
sacrificing himself and restoring the Balance Pillar, Kain had become a god-
like being; head of a self created empire, with the Pillars of Nosgoth as the
base of his empire and the Balance Pillar as his throne. Kain raised six
vampires as his lieutenants: Raziel, Turel, Dumah, Rahab, Zephon and
Melchiah.
As time passed, Kain and his lieutenants would evolve; becoming less human
with each change. It was custom that Kain would evolve first then his
lieutenants would follow in turn several years after. Until one day, Kain's
firstborn lieutenant, Raziel, evolved before Kain, growing a pair of wings.
Presenting them to Kain and his brethren within the Sanctuary of the Clans,
Raziel, having served Kain loyally for a thousand years, did not expect
Kain's next move.
Kain, apparently jealous, ripped them apart and promptly ordered for Raziel's
execution within the Abyss of the Lake of the Dead, execution ground for the
treacherous and those deemed too weak to serve Kain. Following Kain's orders,
Turel and Dumah unquestioning threw him in.
Raziel spent centuries of seemingly eternal burning agony and hatred towards
Kain and his brethren in the Abyss until his descent ended at the bottom.
Now, Raziel awakens in the Spectral Realm, the world of the dead. He finds
his body to be burnt severely and his lower jaw missing. He wraps his cloak
around his disfigured face. Suddenly a voice calls to him. Raziel turns in
surprise.
The voice is that of a mysterious being named the Elder God; it explains to
Raziel how it has saved him from complete destruction. He goes on to explain
how vampires disrupt the flow of life by preventing the souls of the dead
being spun in the Wheel of Fate and completing their destinies. The Elder God
sends Raziel to destroy Kain and his brethren for Raziel's own vengeance and
to allow the Wheel of Fate to continue.
Raziel discovers that he has lost his blood thirst and now requires a greater
source of sustenance - souls. Raziel has become a reaver of souls. While
finding a way back to the Material Realm, the world of the living, Raziel
discovers that while his wings were ripped apart by Kain and burned in the
Abyss, they still have some use. By opening them up, he can use them to glide
across chasms that he would not be able to cross otherwise.
Raziel catches sight of two strange green beings, nothing like he's seen
before. The Elder God explains to him that these beings are Sluagh,
scavengers who hunt for the lost souls of the Spectral Realm. Souls that have
been devoured by the Sluagh are lost forever, never making it to the Wheel of
Fate. Battling them, Raziel devours them to sate his new hunger and discovers
whilst they are brazen in groups, if weakened and alone, they will flee from
him.
Eventually, Raziel finds a shift portal, a ring of blue circles that allows
him to gather matter to form a body for him to use in order to survive in the
Material Realm. However the process is laborious and requires Raziel to be at
full strength to perform.
Raziel uses the shift portal and returns to the Material Realm. The Elder God
explains to him that his Material Realm body slowly dissolves away and if he
does not consume souls or takes too much damage, it will be destroyed and he
will be forced back to the Spectral Realm. He also tells Raziel that he can
willingly abandon his physical body and return to Spectral Realm at any time
without any cost.
Encountering water, the Elder God explains to Raziel that he is still
vulnerable to water like he was as a vampire. In the Spectral Realm however,
water is virtually non-existent and as thin as air. Avoiding the pool of
water, Raziel proceeds to the next room and finds a pair of beastly creatures
using their tongues like straws to suck blood out of a dead human corpse.
Raziel is shocked when the Elder God tells him that these degenerate
creatures are the vampire children of his brother Dumah.
Knowing the weaknesses of vampires firsthand, Raziel uses a nearby pool of
water, a spike on a wall and a slit of light from the ceiling to kill these
abominations and release their souls. Raziel devours them before they slip
into the Spectral Realm. Raziel then pushes a block with his vampire strength
to reach a ledge. The Elder God informs him that in the Spectral Realm; these
blocks, along with all physical objects, are frozen and are immovable.
Raziel opens a door to a sight that he had not expected. He sees the
Sanctuary of the Clans now in ruins. At the time of his execution it stood
tall and magnificent; now it is collapsing and ruined. Apparently, several
centuries have passed between the time that Raziel was thrown into the Abyss
and when he returned to the Material Realm. Raziel's thoughts are abruptly
interrupted by an earthquake. The Elder God explains that ever since Kain
refused to sacrifice himself to restore Nosgoth, it has ever since been
collapsing into ruin. Nosgoth approaches the precipice of destruction. Raziel
tries to enter the Sanctuary but the doors will not open, apparently rusted
shut or barred from the inside.
Raziel eventually returns to his execution site. Despite the rest of
Nosgoth's collapse, the Abyss is still continues to whirl. Now at a
significant landmark, Raziel manages to locate himself in Nosgoth and sets
out to his clan territory to the west in order to see how his clan of
vampires, the Razielim, have changed in the centuries that he has been
absent.
Exploring Nosgoth, Raziel discovers he is immortal. If his body is destroyed
in the Material Realm, he will simply slip into the Spectral Realm able to
recover his strength there and return to the Material Realm whenever he finds
a planar portal. And if he loses his strength in the Spectral Realm, his soul
will be sent back to the Elder God's chamber to recover. The Elder God tells
Raziel that he is now beyond death.
Returning to his clan territory, Raziel is 'greeted' by complete silence and
emptiness. His clan is nowhere to be seen. Raziel knows what has happened to
them and the party responsible.
In further exploration, Raziel encounters two zombie-like creatures killing a
human and feasting savagely upon his corpse. Even though he does not
recognize them, he does recognize a vampiric scent upon them. Upon his
arrival at the clan territory of his brother Melchiah, the Necropolis, he
realizes that these rotting corpses are the Melchahim.
Melchiah was the last to be raised by Kain and was given the weakest portion
of Kain's soul. Melchiah therefore was the weakest of the brothers, his skin
was continuously rotting. This trait was apparently passed to his children
who resort to raid graves and use the bodies within to sustain themselves.
Whilst exploring the Necropolis, Raziel shifts back into the Spectral Realm
and encounters a vampire wraith. As the Elder God explains, this is the soul
of a vampire that has been in the Spectral Realm for too long. The vampire
wraith has adapted its vampiric qualities to devour souls. If it attacks
Raziel, it will sap Raziel of his energy unless Raziel gets out of its range
or attacks it.
Deep within the Necropolis, Raziel arrives in a room containing a large cage
with a meat grinder hovering above it. Raziel encounters a demonic beast in
the room and is shocked when it reveals itself to be the youngest of his
brethren, Melchiah. Melchiah tells Raziel that he should have stayed where
Kain sent him as Nosgoth as become less pleasant than he remembers. Raziel
demands to know what has happened to his clan but Melchiah ignores his
question. He tells Raziel of his revulsion for his current form and how Kain
was unwilling to risk his empire on Raziel's premature evolution. As Melchiah
advances upon Raziel, he tells him that he is 'the last to die'.
Raziel's claws are ineffective against the 'evolved' Melchiah who laughs at
Raziel's futile attacks. Raziel notices a side room, its door blocked by
spiked bar. Raziel jumps in through the window and raises the bars via a
lever. As Melchiah enters the room, Raziel releases the lever and the bars
drop on him. The spiked bars visibly harm Melchiah; however this is not
enough to stop him as he shakes the bars off himself. Raziel notices another
side room and tries it again but once again Melchiah scatters them. Just at
that moment, the switch for the meat grinder activates. Raziel jumps into the
centre cage and lures Melchiah in. But instead of climbing into the cage,
Melchiah turns transparent and walks through the bars! Raziel quickly jumps
out the cage, as Melchiah turns solid once again.
Raziel demands to know where Kain is but Melchiah only states that Kain shows
himself when he wants not when commanded. Raziel then turns on the grinder
and it crushes Melchiah to death. Raziel consumes his soul and the energy
raises Raziel into the air before knocking him back down onto his knees.
Raziel considers himself reduced to a fratricide but the Elder God corrects
him. Consuming Melchiah's soul has allowed Raziel to phase through gates and
barred doors in the Spectral Realm like Melchiah did. In this respect, Raziel
has not been reduced. Raziel uses his new ability to escape the room and
leave the Necropolis.
Outside, the Elder God tells Raziel that Kain is at the Sanctuary of the
Clans. Arriving at the Sanctuary, the main doors are still shut but at the
side is a barred gate. Raziel phases through it and makes his way to the
chamber containing the Pillars of Nosgoth. The door suddenly locks behind
him.
Standing before the Pillars is his former master, Kain. Kain, strangely
unsurprised by Raziel's return, comments on Raziel's appearance. Raziel
demands to know what has happened to his clan. Kain replies that he can
destroy whatever he creates. Raziel is furious, stating that Kain's
extermination of his clan was without conscience but Kain responds that
Raziel has no right to question his judgment, as Raziel's lifespan is minor
compared to the life full of regret and doubt that Kain has suffered. Kain
doubts that Raziel would have any idea what to do if he had to make a choice
that would affect the whole world.
With the clans scattered throughout Nosgoth, Kain's empire is not what it
once was and is coming to an end. It has no further use for Kain just like
Raziel. He punctuates this statement by drawing the Soul Reaver. Raziel knows
that the Soul Reaver thrives by consuming the souls of its victims and that
he is not likely to come out of this fight alive.
Nonetheless, the vengeful Raziel battles his former master. Kain builds up a
lightning attack against Raziel, but Raziel manages to attack Kain and
interrupt the process. But Raziel's claws do little but annoy Kain. Weary of
the battle, Kain catches Raziel off guard and hits him with a quick burst of
lightning, sending Raziel to the ground. He then moves for the killing blow
with the Soul Reaver.
However, instead out tearing Raziel apart and consuming his soul as the Soul
Reaver did with all its victims, the once believed indestructible blade
shatters apart on contact with Raziel producing a shockwave that rocks the
Sanctuary. However, Kain does not seem to be surprised by this and there even
appears to a hint of satisfaction in his eyes. He merely claims this event
marks another step towards his and Raziel's destinies before teleporting
away.
With his material body severely damaged by Kain's lighting and the Soul
Reaver, Raziel slips into the Spectral Realm. Before his eyes is the spirit
of the Soul Reaver. Raziel realizes that, the next time he battles Kain, he
will be able to defeat him with the Soul Reaver.
Placing his arm within the wraith blade and it wraps around his arm as a band
of green energy. Raziel and the Soul Reaver are now forever bound together.
The Elder God tells Raziel that the blade has now been freed from its prison
and restored to its true form, a Wraith Blade. As it is no longer a physical
blade, the Soul Reaver will only appear in the Material Realm if Raziel's
strength is fully restored, in which case it will maintain Raziel's strength.
In the Spectral Realm, the blade will always be present.
Behind Raziel calls a female voice. It is the spirit of Ariel. She asks
whether Raziel is another of Kain's creatures sent to taunt her. Raziel
apologizes for disturbing her rest but Ariel comments that she lacks the
physical body required to rest. All she can do is watch as Nosgoth descends
into corruption.
Kain's refusal to sacrifice himself and restore the Pillars has bound Ariel
to the Pillars eternally. Until his death will free her. Raziel and Ariel now
ally together and Ariel offers to help Raziel whenever he returns to the
Pillars. Raziel uses the Soul Reaver to unlock the sealed door blocking his
exit.
Leaving the Sanctuary, Raziel returns to the Material Realm. As he does so he
notices the Soul Reaver turn blue. This is apparently its colour in this
realm. The Elder God then informs him that his brother, Zephon lies in the
Silenced Cathedral to the east.
Arriving at the entrance of the Cathedral, Raziel finds the doors sealed.
However, the symbol of the Soul Reaver is engraved on the doors. Raziel
inserts the Soul Reaver into a slot and the doors open. The portcullis is
still down but Raziel phases through it. Inside Raziel finds the remains of
human houses but with no humans in sight. Instead, everywhere there are
insect-like creatures cocooning humans and scaling the walls. Raziel comes to
realize that these must be the Zephonim.
The Silenced Cathedral was built by humans to oppose Kain's rule. They had
planned to use the cathedral's pipes to blast a tune deadly to vampires but
they were killed by the Zephonim before they could do so. Raziel activates
several fans to produce strong air currents which allow him to use his wings
to glide his way up and ascend the cathedral.
Finally making it to Zephon's throne room, Raziel meets the second weakest of
Kain's sons. Zephon has evolved into an insect just like his children but
gigantic in comparison. Raziel muses how his appearance reflects his soul.
Zephon tells Raziel that, in his absence, he has missed much change in
Nosgoth. He points out the irony of the human's great weapon becoming his
home. Ominously, he warns Raziel that his hunger matches his enormous size.
The giant insect attacks Raziel with his legs. Raziel dodges them and as they
become stuck in the ground, Raziel uses slices them apart with the Wraith
Blade. The pain causes an egg to burst out of Zephon, which Raziel picks up.
Seeing a dead human nearby holding a torch, Raziel uses it to ignite the egg
and then he throws it at Zephon. After being hit by several inflamed eggs and
losing his legs, Zephon burns to death. Raziel then consumes his soul and
becomes able to climb walls. However he cannot do so in the Spectral Realm as
they are insubstantial in that realm.
With his new ability, Raziel returns to the Sanctuary of the Clans and scales
a wall to an upper room, previously inaccessible to him. Up there, he finds a
way outside and where he encounters the Tomb of the Sarafan. Once it would've
been impossible to get inside but with Nosgoth's decay all barriers have been
destroyed.
Raziel recounts his knowledge of the Sarafan. He knows that the Sarafan once
were a group of warrior-priests who planned to wipe out the vampire race and
almost succeeded. Now they lay dead here enshrined. As Raziel enters the
tomb, the Elder God warns him that a forgotten history lies within.
Raziel enters the tomb and is shocked to find what lies within. The coffins
bear the names of his brothers and himself. With the coffins all empty, he
realizes that Kain had blasphemously raided these coffins and turned the
Sarafan priests into vampires.
Deeper within the tomb, Raziel meets a Turelim vampire assigned to guard the
tomb. Raziel is unmoved by his death threats since Kain has already killed
him. Raziel dodges his telekinetic blasts and easily defeats the tomb
guardian. Obtaining a relic from the tomb guardian, Raziel now gains the
ability to throw telekinetic projectiles of energy; also the Soul Reaver
gains this ability, as it is his symbiotic weapon.
Raziel proceeds on and eventually arrives at the Drowned Abbey. Humans used
had the Abbey as a Sanctuary but in the collapse of Nosgoth it flooded and
they were forced to retreat. Rahab and his children were very easily harmed
by sunlight so they went and hid deep within in the Drowned Abbey to escape
the sunlight. Soon they adapted and overcame their vulnerability to water.
Inside the Drowned Abbey, Raziel encounters the Rahabim who swim in the water
and are capable of leaping out at him. They also appear to be capable of
firing telekinetic blasts at Raziel. Raziel, himself still vulnerable to
water, has much trouble fighting them.
Within a tower of the Drowned Abbey, Raziel meets his now amphibian looking
brother, Rahab. Rahab reveals that Kain has told him that Raziel would come
and kill him. Raziel tells Rahab that they were once Sarafan but this does
not seem to bother him. He claims that Kain saved them.
The room is flooded with water and only has several pillars in the water for
Raziel to stand on making combat a near impossibility. Raziel's telekinetic
projectiles are ineffective against Rahab but then Raziel remembers his
brother's weakness. He proceeds to shoot telekinetic projectiles at all the
windows. The sunlight comes rushing in and the amphibian vampire is burned to
death. Raziel consumes his soul and now no longer has to fear water. He has
gained immunity and can now swim.
Swimming outside of Rahab's room, the Elder God then tells Raziel that Dumah
lies in the frozen wasteland to the north of Nosgoth. Raziel returns to the
Lake of the Dead and advances north to a snowy wasteland. He finds Dumah's
clan territory, now a ruined city. Inside, Raziel finds the dead bodies of
Dumahim everywhere and assumes Dumah suffered a similar fate to his. But the
Elder God corrects him and tells him that the complacent and arrogant Dumah
did not see an attack coming from human vampire hunters. Following this
attack, the Dumahim were scattered throughout Nosgoth. Inside the Ruined
City, Raziel finds a huge furnace creating a huge wave of fire concentrated
in the centre of the room.
Arriving in Dumah's throne room, Raziel finds him dead and impaled. Dumah is
a larger version of his children. Once a great warrior, Dumah would be
greater ashamed for Raziel to find him like this. Raziel removes the spears
from Dumah's body and Dumah's soul reinhabits his body. Dumah thanks his
brother for freeing him but Raziel rejects his gratitude, remembering that it
was who Dumah threw him into the Abyss along with Turel. Dumah now claims to
be the strongest vampire even more so than Kain.
Raziel fights the second eldest of his brothers and Dumah's claim to be the
strongest vampire seems to be true, as Raziel seems unable to harm him.
Raziel's claws, the spears that Dumah was impaled with and even the Soul
Reaver do not harm him. Dumah strikes the ground and causes an earthquake,
which paralyses Raziel. He quickly proceeds to run around Raziel creating a
band of energy constricting Raziel. Fortunately, Raziel recovers in time and
runs. Raziel lures Dumah to the giant furnace that he saw earlier. Raziel
switches on the gas, lures Dumah into the centre and then switches on the
fire. The massive wave of fire is enough to kill the vampire. Raziel consumes
his soul and gains Dumah's ability to form a band of constricting energy to
paralyse his enemies and move otherwise immovable objects.
Raziel leaves the Ruined City and heads to the north where he finds a large
sundial, a secret switch to open a pair of nearby doors. It is stuck but
Raziel uses his new constrict ability to turn the sundial. Raziel enters what
appears to be a network of caves. Inside Raziel finds a cauldron and realizes
that these are the Oracle Caves, where Moebius the Timestreamer and Kain
first met all those years ago.
Moebius had assumed the guise of the eccentric Oracle of Nosgoth but it had
been a facade for the Timestreamer's true cold and manipulative nature. It
was rumoured that the caves, just like Moebius, were also a facade for a
larger complex. Raziel proves the rumour by constricting the cauldron to
reveal a secret passageway into Moebius' Chronoplast chambers. Raziel senses
Kain's presence and becomes more determined to find and kill him.
Inside, Raziel finds a statue of Moebius. It is not the image that Raziel had
of Moebius, from Kain's stories, but Raziel does sense a cold feeling of
power from the statue.
Deep within the Chronoplast, Raziel encounters portals projecting images from
the past and future. The first shows Raziel's first meeting with the Elder
God. The second shows when Kain broke the Soul Reaver on Raziel. The third
shows Raziel finding the Tomb of the Sarafan. These images torment Raziel,
who refuses to believe that everything he has done has all been foretold and
assumes it must be a deception by Kain.
The fourth portal reveals a glimpse into the future; Raziel is confronting
Kain within a dark room. Raziel is shocked to watch the fifth portal, which
shows him striking Ariel with the Soul Reaver, which turns it yellow. The
sixth and final portal shows Raziel standing upon a window on a tall building
with a red and black coloured Wraith Blade.
Finally arriving at the end of the hall, Raziel opens the doors and is
greeted by Kain who announces his disappointment at Raziel's slow progress.
He asks Raziel whether he was troubled murdering his brothers to which Raziel
asks whether Kain was troubled ordering Raziel's execution. Kain replies that
he always knew that Raziel would go after him in vengeance. Raziel refuses to
believe that Kain has foreseen all of this.
Kain discovered these chambers centuries ago and the knowledge within was
more than he could have understood as a human. He feels that he is now much
more than he was as a human and feels that the vampires are gods. Even if
only one of them exists, they are still superior to everything other being in
Nosgoth and that was the reason why he could order Raziel's execution without
a troubled conscience.
Kain believes that everyone's future is predestined. Everyone merely plays
out the path that fate that written for them. Fatalistically, Kain announces
that free will is an illusion.
Raziel interrupts Kain's speech by revealing that he has discovered how Kain
raided the Tomb of the Sarafan and turned the Sarafan priests into vampires.
Raziel questions Kain's blasphemous act. Kain considers vampires and Sarafan
to be the same. Both are obsessed with Nosgoth's domination. He believes that
no one was better to be his lieutenants. So ingrained with their cause, they
felt they were beyond good and evil.
Raziel does not agree with Kain, he believes that the Sarafan were merely
saving Nosgoth from the vampire curse. Kain however says that the Sarafan
were nothing like the altruistic, noble figures Raziel believes they are.
Raziel begins to wonder about the game Kain is playing, telling all these
apparitions and omens. Kain merely explains that destiny is a game and then
teleports to another section of the room.
As before, Kain begins charging up his lighting attack; Raziel rushes him
with the Soul Reaver before Kain can harm him. Kain is hurt but teleports
away and activates a switch on the wall. Raziel repeatedly injures Kain who
tries to activate several switches in the Chronoplast room.
Finally, pulling the last switch, Kain has activated a time portal at the top
of the room. The visibly injured Kain comments that Raziel almost defeated
him but fate has promised that this is not when it ends. He then escapes into
the portal; Raziel prepares to follow but is stopped by the voice of the
Elder God who warns him that he will be no longer able to help Raziel once he
steps through the portal.
Unmoved, Raziel enters and arrives in a dark room. Kain is nowhere to be
seen. Moebius appears behind Raziel and greets him. He tells Raziel,
'WHERE TIME IS BUT A LOOP,
A LOOSE STITCH
IN THE UNIVERSAL CLOTH
A STREAMER MIGHT SEIZE
UPON A CHANCE, A FATAL SLIP -
AND PLUNGE THE FATE
OF PLANETS INTO CHAOS..'
TO BE CONTINUED..
###############
ii) Conclusions
###############
1. Kain managed to completely conquer Nosgoth in the time between Blood Omen
and this game.
2. Kain's lieutenants Melchiah, Zephon, Rahab and Dumah are all dead.
3. However, one of his lieutenants, Turel, is still alive.
4. The Soul Reaver has been shattered and the soul devouring entity within
released. This entity has bound itself to Raziel's arm as a Wraith Blade.
5. Due to Kain remaining alive, the Pillars and hence Nosgoth are unrestored.
#################
iii) Observations
#################
1. Kain is wearing Vorador's ring on his ear.
2. Kain has a scar on his stomach presumably from being impaled in BO.
'ovejaelectrica' points out that the scar is too big and in the wrong place.
I assume this was just a goof by Crystal Dynamics. It was however corrected
in Defiance.
3. Melchiah, the weakest of the brothers is a demonic beast vaguely human. As
we progress through the brothers their appearances become more and more
humanoid. Kain himself has not changed at all. There is an image of Turel in
the (US) instruction book and the ending credits, which show he is humanoid
like Dumah. Although Amy Hennig has said that particular image 'doesn't mean
much anymore; it was drawn so long ago, that it's not really relevant
anymore.'
Update: In Defiance, Turel does not follow the trend but there may be a
reason for this as Raziel himself acknowledges Turel's vast difference from
the rest of the brethren. 'Peter Christensen' theorises that Turel was alive
long after the rest of his brethren were killed and so evolved further into
the creature we see in Defiance. Makes me wonder what Melchiah would've
looked like by then.
4. Zephon is the only of the brothers who we don't see use the ability gained
from him. It's probably because he's too big to be crawling around the
Silenced Cathedral without at least banging his head on something.
5. There also 6 Glyphs (Force, Stone, Sound, Water, Fire and Sunlight) and a
Fire Reaver that Raziel gains in this game. Since they are not plot related
they are not included in the plot summary.
6. The Stone Glyph puzzle is located near Nupraptor's Retreat. During
Nosgoth's collapse, it apparently fell of the waterfall (which has dried up
by the way).
7. The Abyss is located in the Lake of the Dead. If you go to the Lake of the
Dead in BO, the only thing there is a teleporter leading to the Lost City.
Amy Hennig has said there is a connection but never elaborated more upon
this.
8. If you notice, Kain never actually explicitly says that he destroyed
Raziel's clan. It's possible that Raziel's clan are still alive and are
hiding somewhere, have been imprisoned, have been banished far away, died out
independently or some other possibility. However, Melchiah's line 'You are
the last to die!' implies that Raziel is the last of the Razielim.
9. Even though his lower jaw was burnt off, it still looks like Raziel has a
chin (except when he opens his cowl for devouring souls).
10. Even though the rest of his body was severely damaged in the Abyss,
Raziel's hair remains intact. I want the shampoo he uses.
11. Raziel's cowl follows him between realms even though it's a physical
object. Amy Hennig said in an interview that it's not the actual cowl he had
originally but an 'organic manifestation' of it that has become part of him.
12. If you want to be cruel, you can actually make Raziel jump into the Abyss
again. However, the Elder God pulls him back into his chamber before any
serious damage is dealt to Raziel.
13. Amy Hennig has confirmed the Underworld in BO to be the same as the
Spectral Realm. This means that Mortanius could travel across both Realms.
(It's still curious though how the Underworld of BO is fiery whilst it's just
an eerie blue in this game. Perhaps the underworld in BO was just a
hallucination of Kain?)
14. The vampire Raziel has a ponytail. After his trip in the Abyss, it
disappears.
15. This and Defiance are the only games without a map of Nosgoth. Several
LOK fans (including myself) have attempted making one but the Nosgoth of SR
is too big and complex (the pathways are twisted and there is heavy fog as a
way of hiding the constant streaming of areas). If you want to try, remember
that Dumah's clan territory is to the north and Raziel's is to the west.
Also, (according to the compass in SR2) if you face the front of the Balance
Pillar, you are facing north.
UPDATE: Dark Chronicle now has a great Nosgoth of SR map by 'The Necronoir'
which includes the Smokestack (Turelim clan territory) and Kain's Mountain
Retreat.
16. The Playstation graphics make it really hard to see the Elder God is a
squid. So in SR2, I was really surprised to see that he was. (However, 'Greg
Wilford' points out that you can see tentacles moving about at the end of the
intro FMV.)
17. I don't think Kain is popular with nature conservationists. His decision
at the Pillars seems to have destroyed most, if not all, of Nosgoth's
vegetation (as a side note, how is there oxygen in Nosgoth any more?), dried
up large outside areas of water (with the exception of the Abyss and the
Drowned Abbey) and he also ordered for the skies to be belched with smoke.
18. The first time you fight Kain, he is hurt by Raziel's claws. The second
time, he just laughs if you try to attack him with Raziel's claws. Was he
just pretending to be hurt the first time round? (The same thing happens if
you use cheats and attack Kain with the Wraith Blade at the Pillars battle)
19. Malek has a place in the Tomb of the Sarafan but there is no coffin for
him for obvious reasons. (Some readers don't understand what I mean by this,
read the BO plot and observations to find out what happened to his corpse)
20. This game was originally longer but a section of the game about the size
of the Silenced Cathedral was cut out due to time constraints.
- In the original plot, after facing Kain in the Chronoplast, Raziel gained a
shift at will ability from consuming part of Kain's soul.
- He then proceeded to kill a human Priestess who worshipped Kain and gained
a possession ability from her (similar to Mind Control/Spirit Wrack in BO and
Charm in BO2).
- He killed Turel (whose clan territory was a lava filled area, containing a
smokestack, which is not Dark Eden) and gained an amplified force projectile.
- Raziel discovered that the Wraith Blade would be only truly effective
against Kain if he fused it with Ariel's soul. He did this encouraged by
Kain's taunts and Ariel's willingness and thus gained the Ariel Reaver.
- Raziel then proceeded to kill Kain in his mountain retreat then fused his
soul into the Reaver creating the Kain Reaver.
- Raziel finally opened the pipes of the Silenced Cathedral killing all of
the vampires in Nosgoth.
Raziel's slaying of Ariel, final battle with Kain and return to the Silenced
Cathedral are seen in the time portals before the 2nd battle with Kain.
Additionally Raziel also gained a Spirit Glyph and Reavers with the elemental
powers of all the glyphs. This ensured by the end of the game, Raziel was
unstoppable and more or less omnipotent.
For more information, go to blincoln's The Lost Worlds site
<www.thelostworlds.net>
21. You can see the Pinnacle of the Silenced Cathedral and the Smokestack of
Turel's clan territory in the intro FMV.
22. You can see a downgraded version of Raziel's vampire genocide. In the
Silenced Cathedral, there's a room with three pipes. You can only get in
there by phasing through the gates in the room. Climb up the wall at the
other side of the room and open the pipes. The sound will kill the Zephonim
vampires below.
23. This is for those of you who hate block puzzles. Get more enjoyment of
them by flipping them onto your enemies.
24. There is a notoriety system in this game that's rather interesting. If
you never kill a single human (even those who attack you!), all humans
(except the worshippers in the Silenced Cathedral) will bow down before you!
As long as you don't kill them, they will continue to worship Raziel.
Worshippers in the Silenced Cathedral are so loyal to Zephon that they can
never be swayed.
25. Sometimes in the outside area of the Drowned Abbey, Rahabim vampires will
jump out of the water at you but be burned alive by sunlight before they
reach you. This shows just how vulnerable to light these vampires are (Look
how cloudy the sky is).
26. In a boss battle, get killed in the Spectral Realm then return to the
boss room. The boss will now make some comment on Raziel returning.
27. In SR2, Vorador uses crows to spy on Raziel. I wonder about the
possibility of whether those crows at the Sanctuary of the Clans are the
descendants of Vorador's crows.
28. Humans are not affected by the sunlight and water glyphs.
29. The instruction booklet gives some interesting information that is not
mentioned in the game. Kain and his six lieutenants destroyed the major human
kingdoms and then 'domesticated' the humans. Nosgoth was shaped to the will
of the vampires. Kain ordered for smoke to be belched into the sky to protect
vampires from its harmful effects. When the vampires grew bored, they set the
lesser vampires against each other and bet upon the outcome for amusement.
30. Melchiah and Dumah can attack you in the Spectral Realm. Melchiah can
shift realms and you can meet Dumah in the Spectral Realm before you pull the
spears out of him.
31. If you kill a vampire by impaling him with a staff and do not devour his
soul, his soul can reinhabit his body if you pull the staff out. There are
some pre-impaled vampires in the game, that if you pull the staff out, a
vampire wraith will reinhabit the vampire corpse with its vampire wraith
abilities.
32. Exactly how deep is the Lake of the Dead? It takes Raziel *centuries* to
reach the bottom.
33. Raziel apparently learnt to swim just by consuming Rahab's soul. Don't
bother with swimming lessons! Consume the soul of the leader of a clan of
swimming vampires and you're set for life!
34. An area, not mentioned in the plot summary, is the Human Citadel. This is
apparently the last human city in Nosgoth. The humans are well protected as
it is surrounded by deep moats and high walls. In the deleted story of SR,
there was a Temple nearby of Kain worshippers led by the Priestess who had
the ability to possess other living beings. Raziel gained the Possession
ability after killing her.
35. Raziel's cowl is red prior to his trip in the Abyss. By the time he
reaches the bottom it is a brown colour. This is perhaps symbolic of Raziel's
blood thirst receding away as actual blood is initially red but turns brown
as it is exposed to air.
36. One of Raziel's idle animations is of him crouching down and drawing his
clan symbol in the ground. When he is done, he proceeds to rub it out. It has
been pointed out that this is symbolic of the Razielim's possible extinction.
(This idle animation is also in SR2 and Defiance)
37. In this game, the Balance Pillar is black whilst the other eight are in a
white or pale yellow colour. This is contradictory of what has been shown in
the BO ending, SR2 and Defiance where they are all black following their
collapse. Also, oddly they are all a yellow tone in the intro FMV.
38. I wonder why the Rahabim sound like a cork popping when they are
attacked.
39. In the Fire Glyph area, there are several circular murals of a man facing
sideways. This is apparently a mural of the Butterfly Lord: Chris
Butterfly/Bruno, Test Manager of Crystal Dynamics.
40. Not really an observation but an interesting piece of information,
nonetheless. Michael Bell (Raziel's voice actor) has said in interviews that
he has played SR but can't get past the tutorial part of the game!
41. The Elder God's chamber and the passages leading out of it cannot be
accessed in the Material Realm. The exit by the Stonehedge-esqe structure
seals off when you shift to the Material Realm and Raziel automatically
shifts to the Spectral Realm when you use the warp gate to get there. (The
shift at will cheat doesn't allow you to shift within the Elder God's chamber
either.)
42. The ledges above the Abyss are considerably further apart from each other
in the opening FMV than in the actual game.
43. This is the only LOK game where Ariel is not translucent. (No, I'm not
saying this has any plot relevance, I'm just pointing it out.)
44. There are several vampire hunters (alive and dead) deep within the
Silenced Cathedral. I applaud them all for somehow managing to get that far
into the cathedral especially the dead vampire hunter *in Zephon's chamber*!
45. Dumah appears to be the most arrogant of Raziel's brethren having placed
statues of himself within the Ruined City.
46. The seven hooded vampires on the main menu are, according to Crystal
Dynamics' Test Manager Chris Bruno, meant to represent Kain and his six
lieutenants. Note they are not actually Kain and his six lieutenants, only a
representation.
47. Never once in this game or any of the sequels is the Elder God referred
to by that name. We only know its name through the credits, instruction
manual and the SR2 Bonus Materials.
48. 'Ardeth Silvereni' has pointed out a stone carving of Nupraptor's face at
the Force Glyph altar. She theorises it is there due to some connection with
Nupraptor's telekinetic powers and the altar's close proximity to Nupraptor's
retreat.
49. Why did Kain not destroy the flags, doors, walls etc. with Raziel's clan
symbol upon them if he wanted to maintain the pretence that Raziel was a
traitor?
50. Certain vampires have the symbol of their clan upon their back. (Morlock
is an explicit example)
51. When Raziel arrives at the Necropolis, he shows his disdain of the
Melchiahim being so 'debased as to recruit fledglings from the desiccated
corpses here interred'. This is a rather ironic comment considering how he
and his brothers were created.
52. 'Omega' on the Eidos Forums points out a rather interesting church-esque
stained glass mural in Nupraptor's Retreat. You can find it by working your
way up to the balcony on the top of the retreat. Just before you go outside,
you should see a shaft of light; look where it is coming from and there it
is. If you shift to spectral, some arches should lower allowing you to climb
up to the mural. Does anyone have any theories on what this mural means?
53. Throw a spear down a long, unobstructed hallway then quickly shift to
Spectral. If successful, you should see the spear floating midair in the
middle of the hallway since time stands still in the Spectral Realm.
54. Just before the final encounter with Kain, stand in front of the door and
go to the Glyph menu and press the action button. Raziel will shift to
spectral but the cutscene with Kain also activates! Kain will not be there
but his voice will be and the vampire wraith in the room will attack Raziel
until he 'dies'!
55. If you are in the Material Realm and step through the warp gate to the
Elder God's subterranean caves, Raziel is sent to the Spectral Realm. Hence
you cannot visit those caves in the Material Realm.
56. In the waters of the Human Citadel there's a Rahabim vampire. I wonder
whether Rahab was planning an invasion and this was a scout.
57. Raziel is apparently not harmed by fire as he can stand within a fire
without any ill effects.
58. As Raziel is not harmed by rain, presumably he gained the rain immunity
that Kain also has.
59. For some reason, Raziel cannot carry weapons with him through warp gates
- he drops them as he passes through.
60. Zephon is the only one of Raziel's brethren whose corpse remains after
their death. The rest were crushed or thoroughly burnt.
61. Curious how the Tomb of the Sarafan was not located in the Sarafan
Stronghold of SR2 and Defiance. I wonder whether its location had meant
something to the Sarafan.
62. The Tomb Guardian, Morlock doesn't really meet his job description when
he's lurking below the Tomb of the Sarafan.
63. Dumah was apparently in the Spectral Realm for a significantly long time
as he can feed on Raziel's spirit energy.
64. In a nice touch of continuity, the red banner of Moebius' vampire crusade
is outside the Oracle's chamber as it was in BO (the guillotine, Sarafan
armour etc are gone, though that is understandable).
65. As Raziel's material body weakens, blue lines streak across his body
occasionally. As he weakens further, the lines increase in frequency.
66. Seeing as one of the Chronoplast portals show Raziel's arrival in the
Elder God's chamber, this means they are somehow able to see into the
Spectral Realm.
67. Along the corridor of the Chronoplast portals, there is a repeated mural
of a winged being. This is possibly foreshadowing to SR2.
68. Curiously, in the Chronoplast portal that shows Raziel striking Ariel
down, this does not take place at the Pillars when Ariel is supposedly bound
to the Pillars until Kain's death.
69. If you throw a spear at a vampire from a distance, it will impale him
regardless of his health.
#######################################################
5. SOUL REAVER 2 -THE LEGACY OF KAIN SERIES- [2001]
#######################################################
Platforms: Sony Playstation 2, PC (Sega Dreamcast version cancelled)
First Released: 29th October 2001 (US), 16th November 2001 (UK)
Classification: M (US), 15+ (UK)
Published by: Eidos
Developed by: Crystal Dynamics
Directed by: Amy Hennig
Produced by: Rosaura Sandoval
Music by: Kurt Harland and Jim Hedges
Written by: Amy Hennig
-------------------------------------------------------
'Raziel returns with a vengeance!
Raziel emerges from the time portal and returns to
different eras of Nosgoth's past in his relentless
pursuit of Kain. Confronting the shadows of an
unremembered past, he discovers a web of destiny
stretching far into Nosgoth's dim, unrecorded history.
As his destiny comes full circle, Raziel finds his
personal vendetta transformed into a hero's journey,
with the fate of Nosgoth hanging in the balance.'
-------------------------------------------------------
After the cliffhanger ending at the end of Soul Reaver, Crystal Dynamics
planned a sequel on Playstation 2 and Dreamcast. However the Dreamcast
version was never released following Sega's decision to cease production of
that console and any more Sega hardware.
This game follows immediately after Soul Reaver with Raziel in pursuit of
Kain, after the latter fled through a time portal. During this game Raziel
discovers more of his and Nosgoth's history.
Like the previous Soul Reaver title, it begins with a FMV produced by GlyphX.
It consists of an abbreviated version of SR's ending to remind players of the
story. The Playstation 2 improves the fluidity of Raziel's actions especially
gliding and the Reaver looks better as a wraith blade.
The game plays similar to Soul Reaver but is more linear. There are no secret
areas to be found like in the previous games and you hardly ever go where
you're not supposed to go.
The old SR combat system has been improved, the Soul Reaver finishing blow
has been removed along with the grapple and throw that SR gamers found
infuriating. There are more weapons in this game and the Soul Reaver has
become more powerful; consuming the souls of enemies, leeching off Raziel's
health if it gets too powerful and able to be summoned at will.
This game contains a set of Bonus Materials, some of which are locked until
you get a code to unlock them at the end of the game. (Apparently the PC
version of this game does not have these Bonus Materials.) It consists of
concept art, voice sessions and outtakes, information on previous games,
photographs of the voice cast and crew and the Dark Chronicle, similar to the
Dark Diary, except it's a script of the major events in the game (instead of
movies). In the plot summary, I will use the chapter titles to divide it into
sections.
(Note: I have created a Bonus Materials FAQ on GameFAQs.)
############
i) The Plot
############
########
PROLOGUE
########
Raziel, after a long journey, through the dying Nosgoth, finally confronts
Kain within Moebius' Chronoplast chamber. Kain greets Raziel by announcing
his disappointment at Raziel's slow progress. He wonders whether Raziel was
troubled in murdering his brothers. Raziel's response to this is to ask
whether Kain was troubled in ordering his execution. Kain only laughs in
response to the irony of the question.
Kain tells Raziel how he found these chambers centuries ago and the vast
knowledge contained within. He believes that he would have never been able to
understand any of it as a human and that his vampirism has made him like a
god. As he talks, he activates a switch on the wall, which causes a device at
the ceiling of the room to rotate.
Kain believes that everyone's fate is predestined; everyone is forced to play
out a prewritten fate. Fatalistically, Kain announces that free will is an
illusion.
Raziel interrupts Kain's speech by revealing to Kain how he knows that Kain
raided the Tomb of the Sarafan and turned the Sarafan Priests into vampires.
Raziel leaps at Kain in anger but Kain effortlessly catches him in mid air
with one hand and hurls him back across the room. As Raziel slowly gets up,
Kain tells him that the Sarafan were the perfect choice to be his lieutenants
as their desire for the annihilation of vampires had made them the perfect
assassins, considering themselves beyond good and evil.
Raziel doesn't agree and tells Kain that the Sarafan were merely trying to
save Nosgoth from the menace of vampires. Quickly turning around, Raziel
takes Kain by surprise and kicks him to the wall. Amused, Kain allows Raziel
to pin him against the wall as he tells him that although he has discovered
his past, he knows nothing about the Sarafan; they were nowhere as noble as
Raziel believes them to be. Kain frees himself from Raziel's grip and blasts
Raziel across the room using telekinesis. As he activates a third switch, a
time portal in the room activates.
Kain tells Raziel that Sarafan were simply the same as them. After mocking
Raziel, Kain tells him that fate has promised that this is not the end of
their story. He steps into the time portal. Raziel gets up and, pausing only
briefly, follows Kain into the portal. He arrives somewhere in a cloud of
smoke as the Time Steamer Moebius welcomes him.
#####################
CHAPTER ONE - ARRIVAL
#####################
Raziel recognizes the Time Streamer and raises the Wraith Blade in caution
but the staff that Moebius holds deactivates it. Alarmed, Raziel grabs
Moebius by the neck and threatens to kill him. But Moebius knows that he
won't; that will be left to Kain 30 years from now. Raziel has apparently
travelled back in time 30 years before Kain's decision at the Pillars. As
Raziel releases him in disgust, Moebius explains how he knew his human
Sarafan self and how they are now standing within the Sarafan Stronghold
centuries after their murder.
Raziel follows him into the room where Vorador had slaughtered the six
Members of the Circle of Nine centuries ago and finds them memorialised in
murals adorning the walls. Vorador on the other hand has been demonised. Only
Moebius and two others of the Circle survived the massacre. Raziel knows that
Moebius is deceitful but Moebius argues that he only knows such from Kain's
stories.
While he tries to gain Raziel's trust, Moebius explains that he has dragged
Raziel out of the time stream to prevent him going head first into a battle
with Kain. He uses his staff to activate an image in a basin of water to show
Raziel that Kain is waiting for him at the Pillars of Nosgoth. Raziel is
surprised that the Pillars are still standing in this time era. After
persuading Raziel to re-embrace his humanity and Sarafan heritage, Moebius
warns Raziel about his vampire hunters then leaves him on his own to escape
the Stronghold then find Kain.
Alone in the room, Raziel notices a second Time Streaming chamber. However it
is locked and possesses a red crystal above the doorway. Raziel is yet to
discover its purpose. Leaving the room, Raziel encounters and defeats the
vampire hunters of Moebius' Crusade against vampires. Decorating the
Stronghold, are stained glass windows indicating the nobility stolen from him
when Kain raided the Tomb of the Sarafan.
In the main hall of the Stronghold, the power of the Wraith Blade returns
once far away from the influence of Moebius' staff. Raziel wonders as to the
reason why the staff can disable the Wraith Blade and realises how Moebius'
Crusade was so effective at exterminating vampires.
####################################
CHAPTER TWO - THE REAVER CONVERGENCE
####################################
Raziel enters the chapel part of the hall and as he does so the room begins
to distort and warp around him. He gains a feeling of displacement and
vertigo. As he gets closer to a Sarcophagus in the room, the feeling of
displacement increases. Raziel finds the source of the displacement; the
physical Soul Reaver lying upon a Sarcophagus, which is that of William the
Just. Raziel remembers how the young Kain, manipulated by Moebius, had
assassinated William and inadvertently triggered the humans' genocidal war
against the vampires.
The Soul Reaver is broken, apparently in the battle between Kain and William.
As Raziel touches it, the Wraith Blade uncoils and wraps around the Soul
Reaver. Now, the Wraith Blade becomes fully aroused as it takes control of
Raziel and uses his energy to repair the broken Soul Reaver. Before Raziel's
energy is drained completely, the Wraith Blade stops and gives control back
to Raziel so as not destroy its host. Raziel realizes that Moebius has been
watching him from behind and advances threatening on him holding both the
physical Soul Reaver and the Wraith Blade.
Moebius claims that this was none of his doing when he only wants to aid
Raziel. Raziel taunts Moebius by wondering out loud what the conjoined Reaver
blades would do to Moebius' fragile shell. Moebius, truly terrified, begs
Raziel to spare his life. Raziel notices he is not holding his staff and
mocks Moebius about his courage coming from his staff. Raziel is about to
strike Moebius down with the Reaver blades but stops himself when Moebius
mentions the Wheel of Fate. Moebius claims that he also serves the Elder God
and that Raziel should not take the risk of striking down another of its
servants.
Disgusted, Raziel throws the physical Soul Reaver away and leaves Moebius.
Moebius claims Raziel should kill Kain for the Elder God but Raziel says that
his vengeance is motivation enough. Now that Raziel is away from him, Moebius
quickly closes the gates of the chapel and says under his breath that Raziel
almost did kill him but that will be the last chance he will have.
Now that the Wraith Blade is fully awakened it no longer sustains Raziel and
in fact is a sentient parasite competing for control. Raziel can now summon
Wraith Blade at will, even if his strength is not full. If used against
enemies, the Wraith Blade will consume their souls, preventing Raziel from
doing so. Also, if the Wraith Blade were to become fully aroused it would
begin to leech energy from Raziel.
#####################################
CHAPTER THREE - THE HEART OF DARKNESS
#####################################
In the same chapel Raziel catches sight of a stained glass window. It depicts
the oldest and most diabolical vampire Janos Audron. The legend was that he
terrorised the villagers of the town of Uschtenheim far in the north until
the Sarafan hunted him down and tore his heart out. The heart became known as
the 'Heart of Darkness' and could apparently revive vampires. The Sarafan
guarded it carefully so it did not fall into the wrong hands.
Raziel wonders whether Janos Audron was truly as monstrous as the Sarafan
claims or whether the Sarafan were painting Janos in a dark light as to
glorify themselves.
Further within the Stronghold, Raziel finds a room memorialising the Sarafan.
There are murals of Raziel's brothers and a statue of Raziel himself in the
room. Seeing the statue of his human Sarafan self, Raziel feels a sense of
injury, loss and betrayal. His desire for Kain's demise is much amplified
now.
Exiting the Stronghold, Raziel's eyes see the pre-fallen Nosgoth for the
first time. Abundant with life, Raziel realizes the world he left behind was
nothing more than Nosgoth's corpse. Raziel senses the Pillars to the
northwest and sets out to confront Kain there.
The Stronghold lies near the Southern Lake and Raziel finds a strange door on
one of its banks. Although it is designed to open in response to the Reaver,
it appears that something else other than simply his Wraith Blade is required
to open the door. The symbol on the door is of two circles, the smaller one
eclipsing the other at the base.
As Raziel passes a nearby post, it draws a portion of the Wraith Blade's
energy into it. If Raziel's energy is depleted in the Spectral Realm, this
post will automatically draw his soul to it and restore Raziel.
Finally away from the Stronghold and the lake, Raziel senses that he will be
returning to this place sometime in the future. However, there is no visible
means of entry as the ledge Raziel used to escape the Stronghold is now far
beyond his reach. Raziel notices a locked gateway into the Stronghold with a
red crystal above it, much like the one he saw above the Time Streaming
Chamber. This crystal is apparently the key to open both doors but Raziel
currently has no clue how to operate it.
On the way to the Pillars, Raziel sees vampires impaled on stakes everywhere.
These vampires look very human and nothing like the 'deranged jackals' of
Kain's empire in the future. Even though Raziel agrees that vampirism is a
plague to be wiped out, he also believes that this crusade has no sense of
righteousness; it is purely cold-blooded persecution. Everywhere on his path
to the Pillars, Raziel encounters vampire hunters, who try to kill him but
are no match for Raziel.
############################################
CHAPTER FOUR - THE CORRUPTION OF THE PILLARS
############################################
Finally arriving at the Pillars, Raziel for the first time sees the
uncorrupted Pillars, complete and pristine, rising infinitely into the sky.
He is affected by the beauty of this sight but his mood changes once he
catches sight of Kain standing at the centre of them. Summoning the Wraith
Blade, Raziel sneaks behind him.
Without turning, Kain tells Raziel he is aware of his presence. Raziel tells
Kain that, even though Moebius led him here, he would've guessed Kain would
choose to meet him here. Kain warns him to stay away from Moebius. Raziel
demands Kain face him and end this chase between them. However, Kain only
replies that this is not a chase but that they are merely following the path
of destiny. Kain has seen the beginning and end of their fate and doesn't
like what he sees. Kain wants it rewritten.
Raziel is tired of Kain's talk, again demanding that Kain face him and not
have to die a coward's death. Kain finally turns and urges Raziel to watch
and listen to what is about to happen. He tells Raziel that in this moment;
Ariel is about to be murdered, Kain is about to be born to replace her and
Nosgoth is about to be betrayed. In that moment, Raziel watches in horror as
a psychic shockwave hits the Pillars and corrupts them, turning them cracked
and black.
Kain recounts what is happening. Nupraptor, finding his love murdered, goes
insane. This insanity infects all of the other guardians including Kain. The
Circle of Nine is corrupted and Kain becomes unable to fulfil his destiny as
Balance Guardian.
Raziel criticizes Kain for murdering all the members of the Circle but
halting when it came down to himself. He wonders why he has to do what Kain
didn't have the courage to do himself. Annoyed, Kain tells Raziel that he
knows that his desire for Kain's death is not for any noble reasons, simply
for revenge. Kain was counting on that. Seeing that this insults Raziel, Kain
tells Raziel that there is no shame in wanting to hate anyone as long as the
hate is sincere.
Resuming his recollection of Nosgoth's history, Kain then goes on to tell
Raziel about his decision at the Pillars comparing it to tossing a coin. If
it lands one way, Kain sacrifices himself and restores the Pillars but
ensures the extinction of vampires. If it lands on the other side then Kain
does not sacrifice himself and damns the Pillars and Nosgoth to an eternity
of decay. Kain agrees with Raziel that the Pillars must be restored. Raziel
wonders why then Kain has led him along on this game.
Kain tells Raziel that the Pillars don't belong to the humans but the
vampires. Raziel believes this is just an arrogant fantasy of Kain's. Kain
tells Raziel there's a third option hidden inside Raziel's presence here.
After imploring Raziel to discover his destiny, Kain leaves Raziel wondering
what Kain's decision would've been if the coin had landed on its edge.
Raziel wonders why he allowed Kain to escape after chasing him for so long.
But Raziel has been intrigued by Kain's words and becomes determined to
discover the secrets of Nosgoth and unearthing the destiny Kain claims is
laid out for him here.
During his whole journey since he left the Stronghold, Raziel feels that
someone has been watching him. Everywhere there are crows that disappear if
Raziel gets close to them. Deciding to ignore them for now, Raziel continues
on his journey.
Raziel finally finds a door that looks like it has been sealed for centuries.
This door has the image of a blue skinned, winged being with cloven hands
much like Raziel. The key to open the door is the Reaver. Raziel finds it to
be no coincidence that he is standing before this door. Placing the Wraith
Blade into the keyhole, the door opens and Raziel enters. Inside is a system
of caves and the inhabitants are a group of hostile, soulless creatures known
as Shades, which Raziel cannot feed from.
############################
CHAPTER FIVE - THE ELDER GOD
############################
Raziel finds a room in which a lower section of the Pillars reside. He
realizes that humans did not build this room or the Pillars. The murals in
the room intrigue Raziel. One depicts an angelic winged race with blue skin
battling another race of grey coloured beings, the next depicts the blue
winged race standing in front of the Pillars after apparently defeating their
opponents and the last depicts them in agony apparently from blood thirst.
And everywhere are images of the Soul Reaver. Before Raziel can decipher
these images further, a familiar voice warns him not to be deceived by the
images.
Hearing the voice from the water underneath the platform he stands on, Raziel
walks to the edge and sees a giant squid with his tentacles wrapped around
the Pillars. It is the Elder God. Raziel tells it that he enjoyed its absence
while it lasted and mockingly asks for the convenient reason that it is here.
The Elder God replies that it is omnipresent.
Raziel believes that the Elder God is not as powerful as it would have him
believe because, following his journey through time, Raziel no longer needs
the Elder God but it appears to be the case the other way round. The Elder
God reminds Raziel of his task. When it claims Raziel forever owes debt to
it, Raziel is hardly grateful to the Elder God for reviving him as the
abomination he is. But the Elder God reminds Raziel that it was Kain who
caused him to be the way he is, that it did was restore him.
Aware of Raziel allowing Kain to escape moments ago, the Elder God warns
Raziel not to fail it. Raziel tells it that he does not serve it, Kain or
Moebius but carries out his own will. With an ominous tone, the Elder God
tells Raziel that Moebius is its 'good servant'. Raziel muses about how
Moebius' faith would be affected if he knew his 'God' was a giant squid.
The Elder God notices Raziel new rebellious behaviour towards it and warns
him not be deceived by Kain. Raziel knows that he is being manipulated by
many and claims only to seek the truth. The Elder God tells Raziel that the
truth is that the Wheel of Fate is needed to sustain life but it has been
obstructed by vampires, Raziel is needed to stop the vampires, free their
souls and restore the cycle of the Wheel of Fate. Raziel needs to kill Kain.
Raziel agrees that Kain deserves to die but only if and when he decides he
should. The Elder God reminds Raziel that Kain threw him into the Abyss
simply out of jealously when Raziel had served him faithfully for a
millennium in an attempt to guile him on.
Raziel swims into the waters of the subterranean ruins and finds his way out.
He resurfaces into a dark swamp with the light barely making its way through
the trees. The mud of the swamp restricts Raziel's movement greatly. One of
the first things Raziel notices is a Time Streaming Chamber but the door is
sealed shut and Raziel is unable to open it.
Raziel comes across a door and kicks it open. Quickly turning around, he
notices somebody watching him upon a balcony. Upon being discovered, the
observer promptly teleports away. Raziel recognises his observer as the
vampire Vorador and realises it is he who has been watching him via the
crows. Raziel finds it strange that Vorador was brave enough to assault the
Circle but wants to avoid confronting Raziel. Raziel decides to go to that
balcony to confront Vorador.
In the swamp, Raziel finds a passage into the mountains but it is obstructed
by a tree and too high for Raziel to reach.
Upon the balcony, Raziel is unable to find the ancient vampire but finds
something else. Raziel finds a door intended to be opened by the keeper of
the Reaver. Placing the Wraith Blade into the slot, Raziel opens the long
sealed door and enters the ancient shrine.
Inside Raziel finds it guarded by skeletal beings known as Thralls. Defeating
them, Raziel climbs a wall up to a balcony and finds more murals depicting
the winged beings. Raziel realises that they constructed the Pillars, the
chamber underneath the Pillars and this place. Just like in the chamber under
the Pillars, the Soul Reaver is depicted as a holy icon.
Raziel finds a mirror disc and places it upon a pedestal. Sunlight from above
reflects onto a spherical ball of stone. Energy gathers around the sphere and
rushes into a crystal on the ceiling. Purple energy then shoots into an altar
below. As Raziel approaches it, the Wraith Blade of its own will pulls itself
into the altar and drags Raziel along with it. The Wraith Blade proceeds to
drain the energy out of the altar then releases Raziel. The Wraith Blade has
changed colour to a dark purple. Raziel realises that this shrine is a forge
intended to enhance the Soul Reaver. The Wraith Blade has been imbued with
the elemental power of darkness.
Throughout his journey, Raziel has seen strange basins everywhere. On his way
out of the Dark Forge, Raziel notices one now teeming with elemental
darkness. Raziel realises that these basins are intended to re-imbue the Soul
Reaver with the elemental power of darkness whenever it lost that power. When
Raziel placed the Wraith Blade within the Dark Forge all of the Dark power
basins throughout Nosgoth were powered up. The same would be true for all
other elemental basins.
Raziel's way out of the Dark Forge is blocked by a door with the symbol he
saw earlier on the door at the Southern Lake, two circles, the smaller one
eclipsing the other at the base. This is apparently the symbol of the Dark
Reaver. Raziel places the Dark Reaver into the door and it opens. He can use
the Dark Reaver to open the door at the Southern Lake.
#################################
CHAPTER SIX - THE VAMPIRE VORADOR
#################################
Raziel leaves the Dark Forge and is greeted by Vorador revealing himself at
last. Raziel reveals to Vorador that he knows of his reputation. As the old
vampire examines Raziel's strange appearance, he tells him that he has indeed
been watching him ever since he left the Sarafan Stronghold. Noting that
Raziel's arrival was soon followed with the corruption of the Pillars, he
asks Raziel whether he is the catalyst or answer of the corruption. Honestly,
Raziel replies that he doesn't know what Vorador is talking about.
Vorador reveals that he doesn't trust Raziel because he saw him come out of
Moebius' Stronghold. He muses about Raziel's appearance considering him more
demon than vampire. Again, he asks whether Raziel is the instrument of the
Pillars' corruption or their salvation. Raziel replies that he is neither.
Annoyed, Vorador tells Raziel that he has watched him unlock secrets that
have been hidden and locked away for thousands of years. He tells Raziel that
there is only one being is able to do what Raziel has done. He realises that
Raziel doesn't know just who exactly he is but fails to see the point in
telling Raziel since Nosgoth's corruption is beyond redemption.
Raziel is surprised by Vorador's ease to give up but the ancient vampire
explains how the vampire purges have taught him well. 500 years ago, the
Sarafan almost killed them all and now Moebius' army has almost completed the
Sarafan's work. He realises that vampires interfering in the affairs of man
does them no good.
Raziel asks about the images of the winged beings, the Pillars and the Reaver
he has found in the Elder God's chamber and the Dark Forge but Vorador
dismisses them as fairy tales. He merely claims them to be the delusions of a
race long dead known as the Ancients; the last one, Janos Audron, the
guardian of the Reaver, was murdered 500 years ago by the Sarafan. He tells
Raziel that if he is the person who he appears to be then Janos Audron would
have had the answers for him. But his secrets died along with him. Vorador
wonders how Raziel has come this far without the Reaver, stolen by the
Sarafan 500 years ago. He then teleports away, leaving Raziel alone.
Raziel, considering Vorador to be the most honest and outspoken person he has
encountered so far, trusts his words and decides to go back in time and meet
Janos Audron. But first, Raziel needs to find a way back into the Stronghold
and hence the Time Streaming Device; he guesses that he will find a solution
within the Reaver Forge he saw at the Southern Lake.
###################################
CHAPTER SEVEN - THE ELDER'S WARNING
###################################
On his way back to the Southern Lake, Raziel talks to the Elder God once
again. He asks it about the images of the winged beings in the chamber and in
the Dark Forge. It claims that the winged beings hoped to change the future
with these deceiving images. The Elder God warns Raziel about the dark forces
hoping to subvert Raziel's destiny.
Raziel muses about whether the Elder God is one of those dark forces.
Threateningly, the Elder God claims that if Raziel does not follow its
demands then his destiny will come to an abrupt end. Raziel sees this as an
empty threat because he considers himself to be far beyond its reach.
Ominously, the Elder God warns Raziel that its reach is longer than he
realises.
Finally, arriving back at the Southern Lake, Raziel goes back to the door he
saw earlier. Placing the Dark Reaver into the slot, the door opens and Raziel
enters the forge.
In the entrance hall, Raziel sees more murals of the winged race. These
images confirm for Raziel that the winged beings did indeed construct the
Pillars of Nosgoth. Raziel manages to make out in the images that Pillars
appear to banish their enemies.
Inside this forge, Raziel discovers new uses for the Dark Reaver. Plunging
the Dark Reaver into a Dark Reaver symbol upon the floor, a bridge of
darkness forms across a gap thus allowing Raziel to cross to the other side.
In one of the rooms inside this forge, Raziel encounters a large sentry eye,
one of the guardian thralls jumps out to attack Raziel, but the sentry
vaporises the thrall. Raziel manages to blind the sentry temporarily with a
projectile from the Dark Reaver and pick up a star artefact in the room and
get out before the sentry can vaporise his physical body.
After shining two lights upon mirrors in the main room, the light reflects
upon red crystals and a gate opens, allowing Raziel to enter with the star.
He places the star upon the huge statue in the room. Raziel steps back as the
statue comes to life, destroys the mirrors and absorbs the light for itself.
The energy bursts into the altar below. Now as before, Raziel plunges the
Wraith Blade into the altar and after it drains the forge of its energy, it
glows yellow. The Wraith Blade has been imbued with the elemental power of
light.
On his way out, Raziel notices his exit locked. However, there is a red
crystal above the door just like above the Time Streaming Chamber and the
entrance to the Stronghold. Raziel fires a Light Reaver projectile at it and
the door opens. Raziel realizes that he can use Light Reaver projectiles to
re-enter the Sarafan Stronghold and Moebius' Time Streaming Chamber. He then
leaves the Light Forge and the door seals behind him.
Raziel manages to re-enter the Sarafan Stronghold by firing the Light Reaver
projectile at the red crystal.
###########################################
CHAPTER EIGHT - HISTORY AND DESTINY COLLIDE
###########################################
On his way to Moebius' Time Streaming Chamber, Raziel enters the chapel,
where he converged the Wraith Blade earlier, and finds a dead vampire hunter,
his neck has been snapped and he has been drained of blood. He immediately
knows who is here. Raziel calls to Kain in the apparently empty room.
Kain answers and tells Raziel that everything will be decided here. Kain is
standing in front of William's sarcophagus and as Raziel approaches Kain, the
distortion intensifies just as before. Kain tells Raziel that he cannot
understand the significance of this very moment but he needs to if Nosgoth is
to be saved.
Raziel replies that the only thing he understands is that Kain and Moebius
have both drawn him here, they have both manipulated him, which to him means
that he cannot trust either of them. Raziel tells Kain of his intentions to
set his own course without anyone manipulating him.
As Raziel begins to leave, Kain calls to him that it's not that simple.
Raziel is tired of Kain's fatalism but Kain claims that the reason why it is
so firmly fixed in his mind is because he knows that history is unchangeable.
Kain compares the time-stream to a river, if a pebble is thrown into a river;
the pebble is merely dragged along with the river, unable to alter its
direction. Kain claims that he and Raziel are just like pebbles with very
little hope of changing history. The flow of history is too strong to be
changed.
But then, Kain wonders how it was possible for him to go back in time and
kill William the Just and prevent him from becoming the Nemesis. As he talks,
he approaches the cautious Raziel with the Soul Reaver. Kain recounts what
followed as Moebius started a genocidal war against vampires and William
became a martyr. He rhetorically asks Raziel how that was possible if history
is unable to be changed.
Kain tells Raziel that the answer to the question is the Soul Reaver. Both
Kain and William were armed with the Soul Reaver in their battle, the ensuing
paradox created a temporal distortion powerful enough to shift the flow of
history.
Now that Kain and the Soul Reaver are very close to Raziel, the distortion in
the room peaks and the Wraith Blade manifests itself at will. The alarmed
Raziel demands to know whether this is Kain's doing, Kain claims that its
Raziel's own doing and he has nothing to fear from him. Kain willingly gives
the Soul Reaver to Raziel.
As Raziel takes the blade, the distortion increases greatly around them. The
Wraith Blade once again wraps around the Physical Soul Reaver. Raziel then
aims the two Reavers at Kain's throat and claims he could kill Kain right
here and now. Although he is clearly afraid, strangely Kain is resigned and
claims that Raziel does indeed kill him.
Suddenly, the Soul Reaver begins to lunge at Kain of its own will. Raziel
strains to pull back the Soul Reaver from Kain. Kain tells Raziel that they
are rushing towards their destinies. History is pulling the Reaver towards
Kain. Kain claims this is the instant in where history and destiny collide.
Kain urges Raziel to fight the pull of the Soul Reaver. If Raziel kills Kain
then they both now become pawns of history. Kain tells Raziel that he was
destined to be Balance Guardian and Raziel was destined to be Nosgoth's
saviour but their destinies were changed by Moebius.
Raziel almost gives up but Kain continues encouraging him to find within
himself the strength to change history. The Soul Reaver hurtles towards Kain
and crashes down with a flash of light. Raziel's arm has now been released
from the blade.
The Reaver has not hit Kain but instead has hit and broken William's
sarcophagus. Kain has survived.
Suddenly, the room shakes violently. Kain explains that 'history abhors a
paradox'. The future is currently changing to fit around Raziel's decision
not to kill Kain. Kain claims now the two of them are able to follow their
true destinies. He says that it still may be able for him to be the Balance
Guardian and return the Pillars to the vampires. Raziel doesn't seem to like
this comment.
Raziel refuses to be either Kain's or Moebius' pawn and tells Kain that
unlike him, he is retaining whatever is left of his humanity. Kain tells
Raziel that he won't ask him to trust him; his own truths are for him to
discover alone. He calls Raziel a champion of free will and conqueror of
false histories. Before teleporting away, Kain tells Raziel there is so much
more he has is discover.
#############################
CHAPTER NINE - TIME STREAMING
#############################
Raziel arrives at the Time Streaming Chamber he saw earlier and opens it with
a Light Reaver projectile. Suddenly Moebius enters with a worried look on his
face. Raziel mocks Moebius about the look on his face, he knows that Moebius
is worried that now that history has been changed, he has no idea what the
future is now.
Moebius claims that Kain's lies have affected Raziel's mind and now he sees
deception everywhere. He asks Raziel why he did not kill Kain why he was at
his mercy. Raziel says that he had the choice and he chose mercy. He tells
Moebius that he now knows the significance of the displacement when the two
Reavers converged. He muses about how it was the 'devious' Kain who informed
Raziel about it and not the 'friendly' Moebius.
He tells Moebius that he knows how he has tried to change the course of
Nosgoth's history for himself but now all his plans have been sabotaged by
Raziel's using his free will instead of doing what everybody has been telling
him to do, to kill Kain. He tells Moebius that he is now setting his own
future from now on.
Moebius tells Raziel that his hasty actions will condemn them all. Raziel
does not believe that his actions were in any way hasty since it took all of
his strength to perform them. Moebius claims that Raziel is not exerting his
free will but merely following the orders of Kain. Raziel argues that he
sparing Kain's life does not mean that he serves him.
Now desperate, Moebius reminds Raziel that he is destined to be the 'saviour
of Nosgoth'. Raziel, tired of that phrase, tells Moebius that he sees little
reason as why he should bother to save Nosgoth. Deciding to manipulate
Moebius for a change, Raziel summons the Wraith Blade and aims it at the Time
Streamer.
Raziel forces Moebius into the Time Streaming Chamber and orders him to set
the device to send him back in time to before the Sarafan Crusade. As he sets
the switches, Moebius reminds him that he's leaving Kain behind. Raziel tells
him to kill Kain himself if it's so important. After telling Raziel how to
activate the device, he attempts to persuade Raziel to reconsider but Raziel
just tells him to rot and forget him. Upset Moebius turns away but as soon as
his face is away from Raziel's sight, he grins wickedly.
Raziel activates the Time Streaming Device and is transported through time.
He leaves the chamber to a surprise. The Stronghold is dilapidated and
vacant. Heavy rain pours down through smashed holes in the ceiling. Suddenly
two green demons with blades for arms appear and attack Raziel. Raziel is
unable to escape as these demons are able to create magical barriers around
Raziel's exits.
After defeating these demons, Raziel discovers more of the Stronghold ruined,
there are more demons everywhere and Moebius' vampire hunters are battling
them. Coming back to the chapel, Raziel's fears are affirmed. In there is a
statue of Moebius holding the severed head of Vorador. Moebius has
transported Raziel to the future, a century after Kain decided to refuse the
sacrifice, apparently to make sure he does not discover his true destiny. Now
stranded in this time, Raziel decides to go to the mountains in the north to
see if any remains of Janos Audron's existence are still around.
#######################################
CHAPTER TEN - MOEBIUS'S MARTYRED SPIRIT
#######################################
On his way out of the Stronghold, Raziel encounters the spirit of Moebius,
killed by Kain 100 years ago. Raziel, sensing more deception from Moebius,
demands to know if this is some kind of charade. Moebius tells him that this
is not a charade and pleas with Raziel.
Raziel no longer trusts Moebius after deceiving him and transporting him to
the future. The Time Streamer merely claims that it was necessary for him to
do so because Raziel had drifted so far from his true purpose. He chastises
Raziel for creating the wasteland that Nosgoth has become along with Kain.
Raziel does not see how see is responsible. Moebius claims all this was
caused by Raziel sparing Kain. He is not bothered by the fact that Kain
killed him or that Kain was the last remaining vampire because he foresaw
that long ago but Raziel refusing to kill Kain has made his sacrifice
meaningless.
Raziel fails to see how letting Kain's future self survive created the
wasteland because it was the result of Kain's decision at the Pillars.
Moebius claims that Kain's mere existence decays the Pillars along with
Nosgoth. Raziel believes that Moebius is merely afraid of Kain because he
doesn't know what he's up to and afraid that he has found a third option in
his decision at the Pillars.
Moebius claims that Kain's lies have deceived Raziel and demands that he
leave his spirit. Tauntingly, Raziel reminds Moebius that he has a way to see
if Moebius truly is a spirit. As he says this, he pulls his cowl forward as
if to consume Moebius. Moebius is quick to disappear.
###############################
CHAPTER ELEVEN - ARIEL'S LAMENT
###############################
After leaving the Stronghold and fighting dozens of demons, Raziel has made
it to the Pillars of Nosgoth. This appearance of the Pillars is the one
familiar to him, decayed and broken. Having seen the Pillars previously in
their undefiled state, the Pillars' collapse now holds a new sense of horror
for Raziel. He wonders whether Kain's simple decision to refuse the sacrifice
caused truly this level of damage. He feels that there is someone else behind
this.
Just then he catches sight of Ariel, her spirit now bound here for more than
a century. Ariel is lamenting about what happened, she was spared from
Nupraptor's madness but Kain was not. It caused Kain's destiny and Nosgoth's
balance to be lost. She compares Kain to herself, while she is pure but
insubstantial, he is real but corrupted.
Ariel is surprised when Raziel interrupts her from behind. He reminds Ariel
that Kain is not the reason why she is bound to the Pillars but it is the
dark forces that infiltrated the Circle. Ariel argues that Kain allowed them
to succeed in their plan to destroy the Pillars.
Raziel wonders whether Kain's decision was rigged to destroy Nosgoth either
way and that if he had decided to sacrifice himself instead, the damage to
Nosgoth would have been greater. Ariel argues that Kain must die for the
Pillars to be restored. Raziel disturbs Ariel by asking her to think what
will happen if Kain's death does not restore the Pillars and that she may be
bound to the Pillars forever.
Ariel slips into the Spectral Realm to escape Raziel but he follows. She is
alarmed to discover he has followed her and attempts to hide unsuccessfully.
She begs Raziel for mercy since her imprisonment at the Pillars makes her
unable to escape him. Raziel wonders if the mercy she asks for is like the
mercy she had for the other Guardians when she told Kain to kill them, the
mercy she showed Kain not telling him he was Balance Guardian or the mercy
she had for Nupraptor by making him Kain's first kill.
Upset, Ariel asks why Raziel hounds and torments her cruelly like this.
Raziel tells her that he's merely looking for answers before he leaves her.
########################################
CHAPTER TWELVE - RAZIEL DEFIES THE ELDER
########################################
Returning to the Elder God's subterranean chamber, Raziel is shocked to
discover what has become of it. It has grown to enormous proportions, its
tentacles are wrapped around the Pillars, which have been shattered into
pieces and the murals in the rooms have been badly damaged.
The Elder God then scolds Raziel for not having the courage to kill Kain. It
tells Raziel the wasteland that he has just traversed is the result of Kain's
selfish desire to preserve his own life. Raziel thinks this condemnation of
Kain is ironic considering the fact that he is currently seeing the Elder
God's tentacles wrapped around the damaged Pillars. He asks it what it is
trying to destroy as it grows through this chamber and why it thrives while
the rest of Nosgoth decays.
The Elder God replies angrily that it is the Engine of Life, that it creates
life and devours death. Raziel muses about whether he's just a hungry
parasite, no better than the vampires. Irritated, the Elder God threatening
warns Raziel that since it made him, it can also unmake him. Raziel mockingly
reminds the Elder God of what it had told him in the future - that he is
beyond death. To this it responds that there are fates worse than death.
Disgusted, Raziel tells the Elder God that he now believes that it is nothing
more than a cancer upon Nosgoth. Tired of Raziel, the Elder God orders him to
leave the chamber but warns him that as his Soul Reaver, Raziel will always
belong to it.
Arriving in the Swamp, Raziel comes across the sealed Time Streaming Chamber
he saw earlier. This is Raziel's only way out of this era but it is still
sealed without any means of opening it. Unless he does open it, he will be
stranded forever in this era.
Raziel goes back to the passage, leading to the mountains, which he saw
before, and finds that the tree has moved out of the way. Raziel can now
climb up to the ledge and proceed to find any evidence of Janos Audron.
After a long trek in the mountains, Raziel arrives in the town of
Uschtenheim, now ruined and abandoned. Reminding himself of the legend,
Raziel believes that the residence of the ancient vampire would not be far
away.
###################################
CHAPTER THIRTEEN - THE RUINED AERIE
###################################
Raziel arrives at a large lake and stands upon an overlooking cliff, on the
other side are the ruins of Janos Audron's Retreat. Seeing a statue of a
winged being carved below the top balcony of the retreat, Raziel concludes
that this edifice was clearly not constructed by humans. He is unable to
enter the retreat due to all the wreckage; Moebius apparently ensured that
Raziel was too late to discover anything significant. Raziel decides to
explore the mountains further.
Suddenly Kain appears behind Raziel, Raziel comments how every time they've
met, something monumental and terrible occurs. Amused, Kain tells Raziel
there's nothing like that this time. Raziel is surprised that Kain has
followed him through time like this. Kain is still waiting for his coin to
land on its edge.
After Kain comments on how Moebius has tricked Raziel, Raziel tells Kain that
he knows that the Time Steamer obviously does not want him to meet Janos
Audron. Sarcastically, Kain wonders out loud whether it could also be because
Moebius wanted to harden Raziel's heart against Kain by letting him see the
wasteland that Kain had single handedly created as a result of his decision
at the Pillars.
Raziel tells Kain that it has not and that he now believes that destroying
Kain would have no significance upon Nosgoth. Kain is glad to see that Raziel
has seen through the facade and tells him that he will indeed need to meet
Janos Audron in order uncover his destiny. He then warns Raziel that dark
forces are trying to destroy them.
Raziel notices that Kain is talking as if the two of them are allies, Kain
tells Raziel that 'they' believe they are. Raziel knows for certain that
'they' want Kain dead because he has been continuously ordered to kill him.
Slightly arrogantly, Raziel then claims that 'they' have no idea how to
destroy him and made a critical mistake when they allowed his 'unique
resurrection'. Kain warns Raziel not to underestimate 'them'.
Finally, Raziel asks who 'they' are and comments upon how in 'their' grand
conspiracy against Raziel and Kain, some of 'them' haven't got a clue what
the rest of 'them' are up to, including Moebius. Kain is slightly
disappointed that Raziel has not realised that Moebius is merely a puppet in
'their' plans and informs him of such. Kain tells Raziel that 'they' have yet
to show their faces.
Raziel believes that 'they' do not like how he and Kain have been unwriting
'their' carefully planned history for Nosgoth. Kain corrects Raziel by
telling him that they have not unwritten history, they have only rewritten
it. History will only allow very minor changes to the timeline and will not,
under any circumstances, allow a paradox. Raziel asks Kain what would happen
if history could not reshuffle itself to fit around the change. To this, Kain
replies that the creator of the paradox will be expelled from history. He
warns Raziel that this may be exactly what their enemies are trying to do. On
this note, Kain teleports away, leaving Raziel alone.
High in the mountains, Raziel finds another of the Reaver Forges. This one is
guarded by a Sentry. After blinding it, Raziel uses the Wraith Blade to open
the door and enter, just like with the other forges.
Inside, Raziel once again finds more images of the winged race, who he
deduces created the Pillars and the Reaver. He deciphers the murals and
realises that these winged creatures were Nosgoth's first vampires; their
blood thirst was apparently inflicted upon them by the enemies they banished
via the Pillars. Raziel struggles to find out how Kain intends escape his
dilemma, what he has planned for Raziel, why Moebius and the dark forces want
Kain dead and why they are so intent for Raziel to kill him.
Raziel uses the Light and Dark Reavers to activate two strong air currents
aimed at the altar of this forge, the currents cause the altar to activate.
Raziel places the Wraith Blade within the altar and as before the Wraith
Blade proceeds to drain the forge of its energy. The Wraith Blade has been
imbued with the elemental power of air.
Raziel puts the Air Reaver into a device on the floor bearing the symbol of
the Air Reaver. A current of air shoots out of the device and Raziel opens
his wings above this device and is pushed up by the air current to his exit.
Suddenly the exit closes with a stone door. However the door is fractured,
Raziel uses an Air Reaver projectile to break open the door. He realizes that
the Air Reaver enhancement allows him to break open fractured doors and as
such, he now has a means to break open the door to the Time Streaming Chamber
in the swamp and return to a time when Janos Audron still lived.
Raziel finds himself no longer slowed down by the mud of the swamp as the Air
Reaver allows him to run quickly through the swamp escaping the mutants and
demon hunters. The increased power that the Air Reaver provides to the Reaver
projectiles is enough to break open the door leading into the Time Streaming
Chamber.
Standing on the Time Streaming Device, Raziel has no idea how to set the
device or tell where it will send him. But he has no choice and decides to
act on blind faith. He activates the device and is transported through time.
There is no indication of what time period Raziel is in until he steps
outside. Apparently Raziel has been transported to the era he seeks as there
are Sarafan banners everywhere in the swamp, Raziel considers this too good
to be fate and suspects that Moebius or somebody else intended for him to be
here.
Everywhere throughout this snowing Nosgoth, Raziel sees vampires impaled upon
spikes everywhere, just like in Moebius' crusade but in much greater
quantity. These killing fields give Raziel a more cold feeling than that
those of Moebius' Crusade. In the mountains, Raziel finally sees the Sarafan
in the flesh for the first time. Although Raziel does feel a sense of longing
and grief towards his former brothers-in-arms, he no longer holds them in
high regard having now seen how monstrous these men were in their killing.
Finally arriving at Janos Audron's Retreat, after defeating dozens of Sarafan
warrior-priests and sorceresses, Raziel finds the lake has frozen and more
importantly, the Retreat is intact. This sight boosts Raziel's confidence,
since he believes that whatever destroyed Janos' Retreat must have happened
soon after the ancient vampire was murdered by the Sarafan. However, even if
Janos is alive, Raziel still has to find a way up to the Retreat, which would
not be easy, the balcony was only intended to be reached by winged beings.
Raziel's torn wings are of no use to him here.
Finding a hole in the frozen lake, Raziel swims underwater and catches sight
of the symbol of the Shift Glyph. Shifting into the Spectral Realm, Raziel
watches as the symbol opens up into a doorway in the Spectral Realm. Inside
Raziel returns to the Material Realm.
The interior of the mountain is hollow and houses a plethora of towers,
balconies and bridges. Raziel is unsure whether he is the demon as shown in
the Stronghold or the angelic figure shown in the forges but nevertheless is
determined to meet the ancient vampire since he alone holds the key to
Raziel's destiny.
#####################################
CHAPTER FOURTEEN - THE TENTH GUARDIAN
#####################################
After creating and crossing many bridges and stairways, Raziel finally
reaches the top of the retreat. He enters the room of Janos Audron and calls
the vampire's name cautiously. Janos Audron tells Raziel that he is pleased
to hear his name spoken without any hatred for once. Janos is not the demon
depicted in the Sarafan Stronghold.
Janos turns around and is shocked by Raziel's tattered and destroyed
appearance. Raziel explains that he has been dragged through hell and back;
he asks Janos why it has all been just so he can reach this moment.
Janos explains that he has been waited for Raziel for thousands of years. He
tells Raziel that at the time of the Binding, the Circle of Nine was created
to protect the Pillars of Nosgoth and he was summoned as the Tenth Guardian
to protect the Reaver. He explains how over time, his race died out and only
he was left, sustained by his obligation to Raziel and Guardian of the
Reaver.
Raziel asks why the Guardianship did not sustain the other nine, but after a
brief pause, Janos tells Raziel that he doesn't know. Janos explains how the
humans have completely forgotten about the Ancient vampires and claimed the
Pillars for themselves. Over time, the Ancient vampires and their history
have faded into myth and then altogether. Now, all Janos is to the humans is
a devil.
Raziel asks Janos why the Pillars summoned human Guardians to protect the
Pillars if vampires are meant to. Janos explains that Guardians are chosen
from birth and that now vampires are no longer born; he points out the irony
that the humans Guardians are killing the architects of the Pillars they have
sworn to protect. He tells Raziel that with every vampires' death, the humans
are spelling their own demise.
Janos knows that the humans are fearingly aware of his presence up here upon
the balcony, he points out to Raziel the rows of the impaled vampires placed
before his Retreat, intended torment to him or, as Janos muses, to lure him
out. He realizes that the humans believe that Janos' death will mean the end
of the vampires; Janos tells Raziel that the vampire race is not that
fragile.
Raziel tells Janos about the Sarafan gathering in Uschtenheim, this makes
Janos fear about how much time the two of them have left together. Raziel
wonders whether Janos hates the humans but Janos does not, because he
believes the humans do not understand the vampires and therefore are afraid
of them. The humans despise that they fear and that is the reason for their
vampire hunts. Raziel tells Janos that Vorador hates the humans; Janos
understands why this is considering how much he has suffered. Raziel asks
Janos whether the humans should be forgiven, Janos explains that the humans
don't know what they're doing and have been manipulated into doing so.
Raziel finally asks Janos the question that has been agitating him throughout
his journey; he asks whether he is an 'unholy vampire messiah'. Janos answers
that Raziel is perhaps a messiah but he is certainly not unholy. Raziel
reveals his dislike for the word 'messiah' claiming it reminds him of
martyrdom. Janos tells Raziel that his role in the destiny of Nosgoth is more
crucial and benevolent than he believes. He begins to warn Raziel about the
dark powers but notices Raziel's appearance and realizes Raziel is already
aware of them.
As Janos begins to walk back into the room, he tells Raziel that the Binding
must be secured and that the Pillars are the lock. Raziel knows that the
Reaver is the key. Janos walks up to a decorated chest and takes the Reaver
out of it. Strangely, there is none of that sense of displacement and vertigo
that Raziel had felt in William's chapel. Janos tells Raziel that the Reaver
was fused with vampiric energy allowing it to drain blood from its victims.
Wary of the fact there is no distortion around them, Raziel refuses to pick
up the Reaver.
Suddenly, Raziel and Janos hear the sound of Sarafan rushing towards them.
They both realise that the Sarafan have followed Raziel and managed to get up
to Janos' balcony the same way he did. The Sarafan are holding Moebius' staff
and Raziel prepares to fight them. Janos however restrains Raziel and despite
Raziel's protests, teleports him away.
Raziel finds himself within the Fire Forge not far from Janos' balcony
chamber. He runs to the exit door and hears Janos and the Sarafan battling
but is unable to open the door. Apparently, the door can only be opened by
the Fire Reaver.
Raziel grabs a flaming torch and places it into the altar. The altar is
activated and Raziel quickly places the Wraith Blade in. The Wraith Blade has
been forged with the elemental power of Fire.
###########################################
CHAPTER FIFTEEN - THE DEATH OF JANOS AUDRON
###########################################
Raziel rushes to the exit to save his new mentor and opens the door with the
Fire Reaver. With horrible irony, Raziel witnesses his human Sarafan self
slice open Janos' chest and pull his heart out. Turel is amazed that it is
still beating. The shock and horror of the moment paralyses Raziel. The
Sarafan Raziel looks up and sees Raziel; he too is frozen to the spot seeing
this strange demonic figure.
Suddenly, the Retreat begins to shake and collapse. Dumah breaks Sarafan
Raziel out of his trance and urges him to get out of the collapsing Retreat.
Sarafan Raziel tells Dumah to take the Reaver and then escapes with the rest
of the Sarafan.
Raziel approaches Janos, who amazingly is still alive, but is dying. Raziel
apologises to Janos but he merely claims that it may have been his true
purpose to save Raziel's life this time. He urges Raziel to get the Reaver
back from the Sarafan claiming it was forged for him alone. Janos then dies.
The Retreat shakes once again and Raziel walks towards the balcony. Rage
builds up inside him and he immediately rejects his former humanity. He vows
to return to the Sarafan Stronghold, kill Moebius and the Sarafan, reclaim
the Reaver and then use the Heart of Darkness to revive Janos. The Retreat
shakes once again and Raziel is forced to jump off the balcony. This is what
caused the Retreat's collapse.
Raziel filled with rage proceeds to the Sarafan Stronghold but suddenly two
purple gas demons appear. Apparently, these demons were not created by Kain's
decision to refuse the sacrifice but instead were sent by the dark forces who
had hoped to change Raziel's destiny. Raziel's journey to the Stronghold is
interrupted repeatedly by demons all attempting to stop him.
#########################################
CHAPTER SIXTEEN - THE FINAL TRANSGRESSION
#########################################
On his way to the Sarafan Stronghold, Raziel once again passes the Elder
God's subterranean chamber. The Elder God scolds Raziel for failing it.
Raziel wonders out loud whether the Elder God really did resurrect him in the
Abyss or whether Raziel was just indestructible for some reason and
conveniently dumped in its lair by Kain.
Raziel knows that he has been constantly been manipulated from all sides but
wonders why he always strays from the path that his manipulators set for him.
Raziel wonders why he is such an unreliable assassin and why does he keep
survive being constantly being killed and resurrected. Raziel concludes that
there is more to his destiny than either he or the Elder God knows about.
After fighting countless demons, Raziel finally arrives at the Southern Lake,
which is frozen. The ice prevents the entrance to the Stronghold from opening
when Raziel shoots a Light Reaver projectile at the red crystal. Suddenly,
Raziel catches sight of a nearby device near the lake with the symbol of the
Fire Reaver, a circle with flames surrounding it, on it. He plunges the Fire
Reaver within and the ice melts. Raziel then opens the doors of the
Stronghold.
##############################################
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN - CORNERED IN THE STRONGHOLD
##############################################
Finally inside the Stronghold, Raziel searches for either the Sarafan
Inquisitors or Moebius but then unexpectedly he finds the Reaver in a room
laid out in front of him suspiciously. Once again there is none of the
temporal distortion he felt in William's chapel. The lack of distortion makes
Raziel afraid to get near it but he feels an irresistible urge to pick it up.
Suddenly Moebius and Malek appear behind him. Raziel summons the Wraith Blade
in defence but this time Moebius is carrying his staff, which disables the
wraith blade. Moebius' attitude has changed from the weak, addling old man to
a cold and focused sorcerer.
Angrily, Raziel tells Moebius that he now realises that the Time Streamer has
been orchestrating his every move. Moebius laughs in response and tells
Raziel it was fun while it lasted. Raziel advances towards Moebius but Malek
forces him back with his pike. Moebius tells Malek that Raziel is a danger to
the Circle of Nine.
Moebius is amused that Raziel believed that he could manipulate history;
since Moebius is the Time Streamer he foresaw Raziel's every intention before
Raziel even thought of them. Suddenly, the three of them hear in the distance
the sounds of Vorador attacking the Circle of Nine. They scream for Malek's
help but Moebius stops Malek claiming Raziel is the real danger.
Moebius tells Raziel that he would have never allowed Raziel to simply run
loose and corrupt everything in his path. Raziel claims that he no longer
underestimates the Time Streamer then picks up the Reaver and advances
towards the two Guardians. Moebius and Malek back out the door and bolt it
shut.
Raziel admits to himself that it was blind rage that made him pick up the
Reaver and not the fact that Moebius had disabled his Wraith Blade. Now for
some reason his hand is unable to release itself from the Reaver and he feels
the Wraith Blade trying to manifest itself and embrace the Physical Reaver.
#############################
CHAPTER EIGHTTEEN - VENGEANCE
#############################
Raziel with no other choice, proceeds forward through the Stronghold. There
apparently waiting for him are Melchiah and Zephon. Raziel is amused that
these two have no idea that they are going to become exactly what they have
hated and killed for years. Raziel feels the Reaver's eagerness and
anticipation to drain the blood from the two Sarafan.
Raziel impales the two Sarafan with the Reaver, which drains the blood out of
them. He feels the Reaver's blood thirst and the Reaver feels Raziel's rage.
As he discovered in the battle, the Reaver heals Raziel's wounds almost
instantly and sustains Raziel's physical form. However this also means that
Raziel can no longer shift into the Spectral Realm at will.
In the main hall, Rahab and Dumah are waiting for him. Raziel finally enjoys
the irony of Kain transforming the Sarafan priests into vampires because he
knows now it was he who killed them. Raziel kills both of them and proceeds
to the chapel.
Turel is waiting for him. Raziel remembers that it was Dumah and Turel that
cast him into the Abyss. He comments on Turel's determination to duty and
righteousness as a human and as a vampire. While the vampire Turel had
escaped Raziel in the future, the Sarafan version does not as Raziel impales
him with the Reaver.
###############################
CHAPTER NINETEEN - RENUNCIATION
###############################
Having killed all of the Sarafan inquisitors except himself, Raziel proceeds
to the chapter house and meets his human self. With great hatred in his
voice, the Sarafan Raziel knows that Raziel has killed his brethren and will
now try to kill him. Raziel demands his former self return Janos' heart to
him. Sarafan Raziel mockingly tells Raziel that he knows he's here to avenge
Janos and calls him a 'righteous' fiend. Raziel agrees with him although he
secretly referring to his Sarafan self.
Sarafan Raziel tells his demonic self that it ends here and he will kill
Raziel quickly. In reaction to this, Raziel refers on the slow, painful death
they gave Janos. Sarafan Raziel explains that it would have been a wasted
opportunity to quickly kill the vampire they had been trying to murder for so
long. He points out the irony that the 'great Janos Audron' was so easily
killed by them and tauntingly reminds Raziel of Janos' screams when his heart
was removed.
############################
CHAPTER TWENTY - FULL CIRCLE
############################
In great anger Raziel fights his former Sarafan self. But the most formidable
of the Sarafan Inquisitors does not go down easily. Eventually however,
Raziel thrusts the Reaver into Sarafan Raziel's chest. The Sarafan gasps as
the Reaver drains his blood out of his body. Raziel renounces his human self.
Sarafan Raziel dies.
Raziel quietly comments on how his history has now come full circle. The
Wraith Blade's power returns and it wraps around the Reaver and leaves
Raziel's arm. Suddenly the two Reavers turn on Raziel and with no other
victims present, impale Raziel and begin to absorb Raziel's soul into the
Reaver.
Raziel finally realizes why there was no temporal distortion when he
encountered the blade in this era. The Reaver was not created as a soul-
reaving weapon - he was and always has been the soul devouring being within
the blade. He also realizes that the paradox of the Reaver devouring its own
soul was what destroyed the Soul Reaver when Kain struck him with it in the
Sanctuary of the Clans. Raziel realises that this has been this entire cycle
has been his destiny.
Raziel falls to his feet as the two Reavers suck his soul into the blade. He
is unable to pull the Reaver out of himself. Kain steps out of the shadows
and reveals himself. Raziel immediately blames Kain for this. Kain urges
Raziel to give in to the Reaver and to trust him.
With his strength gone, Raziel is unable to resist the Reaver any longer.
Then when his soul is both inside and outside the Reaver, the temporal
distortion starts up again. Raziel realizes this is the moment when Kain was
hoping that his coin would fall on its edge. Kain reaches towards Raziel and
with all his strength, rips the Reaver free from Raziel, thus changing
history. The Wraith Blade dissipates away. Kain tells Raziel that he is now
free to follow his true destiny.
The room shakes as history begins to reshuffle itself following this change.
Suddenly Kain realizes that he's made a terrible mistake and exclaims in
horror that the two of them have fallen into the trap of the 'Hylden'. He
warns Raziel that Janos must stay dead but Raziel does not hear Kain's words.
His strength has been drained by the Reaver and as he is too weak to maintain
his physical body and he falls into the Spectral Realm. There he sees the
Wraith Blade bound to his arm, evidence that he will eventually be sucked
into the Reaver someday. Raziel realizes that Kain was right.
HISTORY ABHORS A PARADOX
###############
ii) Conclusions
###############
1. Moebius, the Elder God and the 'Dark Forces' appear to be working together
to change Kain and Raziel's destinies and the fate of Nosgoth.
2. Raziel will one day inevitably be absorbed into the Reaver to create the
Soul Reaver.
3. The Reaver and the Pillars of Nosgoth were created by the Ancient vampires
of Nosgoth.
4. Nosgoth and the Pillars are still unrestored.
5. Kain has apparently found a third option in his decision at the Pillars.
6. Kain may not be completely responsible for the Pillars decay.
7. Raziel is apparently a foretold vampire messiah and the Saviour of
Nosgoth.
8. Janos Audron was killed by the Sarafan Inquisitor Raziel.
9. History has been changed by Raziel refusing to kill Kain and by Kain
saving Raziel from being absorbed into the Soul Reaver.
#################
iii) Observations
#################
1. The dialogue of the ending of SR has been abbreviated for the beginning of
SR2. They left in the dialogue most relevant to this game. Raziel's ignorance
of the Elder God's warning was removed but it is well replaced by Raziel's,
'I dared hoped we parted ways forever'. Also, Kain fares better in his battle
with Raziel in this game than in SR (where he was visibly injured); this puts
Kain's 'You nearly had me Raziel' into a different context.
2. William was moved all the way across Nosgoth from his castle to the
Sarafan Stronghold. An awful lot of effort and risk for just one man even if
he was important as he was.
3. Kain has the abdomen scar just as in SR.
4. Notice the irony when Vorador laments about vampires interfering in the
affairs of humans just as he warned Kain not to in Blood Omen.
5. I wonder how the Sarafan got into their Stronghold without the help of a
Light Reaver projectile. If they did have some sort of substitute, why have
none of them entered the Light Forge? Even if there is another way into the
Stronghold, why construct a red crystal to open the door in the first place?
(Additionally, considering the fact that part of the door is in the water,
did the Sarafan need boats to get into the Stronghold?)
6. Ariel and Raziel meet in the second time period of SR2 but Ariel doesn't
remember Raziel in SR. Perhaps Moebius didn't send Raziel into the future in
the original timeline where Raziel did kill Kain. Or perhaps it was too long
ago for Ariel to remember. It is at least 1400 years plus the centuries that
Raziel spends in the Abyss.
7. In the speech between Raziel and Janos, take notice that Janos only ever
refers to it as the 'Reaver'. Since Raziel and Kain have abbreviated the Soul
Reaver as the 'Reaver' constantly, the player is used to it being called that
when Janos introduces it. It's really a clever way of hiding the fact that
it's not a soul-stealing weapon.
8. For those of you wondering how Janos recognises Raziel when they first
meet, interestingly there's a statue of Raziel holding the Reaver in the Fire
Forge. Also when the wraith blade is forged the Reaver on the statue ignites
in fire!
9. Janos Audron so far is the only LOK character whose surname we know.
10. We discover that Moebius is at least 500 years old since he was alive at
the time of the Sarafan.
11. We also discover that Moebius seems to have been evil far before the
Pillars corruption.
12. In Blood Omen, Moebius claims it was Malek's vanity that caused the
members of the Circle to be killed by Vorador. We discover that it was
actually Moebius preventing Malek from leaving him with Raziel. Malek doesn't
seem to blame Moebius though; he places the blame solely on Vorador.
13. We find out another reason why Vorador attacked the Circle apart from the
fact that they supported the Sarafan Crusade. It's not said out loud but it's
a good guess to assume that Vorador heard about Janos' death and decided to
avenge him. (Update: This has been confirmed by Defiance)
14. The player is unable to devour the souls of the Sarafan. They simply pass
on into the Spectral Realm with no effect from Raziel's soul suck. Probably
because Kain needs them to revive the Sarafan as vampires.
15. The glyphs in SR along with the Soul Reaver finishing blow were removed
from the game presumably because the game would have become too easy. The
constrict ability was also removed seeing that it killed humans in one bind
in SR. While the glyphs' absence can be explained (they're not plot related),
the absence of the constrict ability cannot and is not.
16. The Fire Reaver has to be regained in this game even though you could get
it in SR. SR had little explanation as to the Fire Forge's origin and it was
not plot related.
17. In the Elder God's subterranean chamber there are symbols of the Reaver
enhancements. Along with the Dark, Light, Air and Fire symbols are the Earth,
Water and Spirit Reaver symbols which were removed from the game. Originally,
all of these Reavers had 7 special abilities for combat, exploration and
puzzles making a total of 49 special abilities. However, SR2 suffered a
similar fate to its predecessor and these abilities had to be cut out due to
the deadline.
18. The time between Vorador's attack on the Circle and Blood Omen has been
changed from 5000 years to 500 years by Crystal Dynamics. Probably because it
was more feasible that the Sarafan corpses didn't rot away by the time Kain
resurrects them. (500 years is still a long time unless Sarafan sorcerers
placed some kind of preservation spell on them that only lasts 1001 years)
19. There are now symbols on the Pillars instead of the old pictures in BO.
In SR, it was just colours and there were no symbols.
20. Just like in the previous game, Raziel *still* looks like he has a chin
despite it having been burnt off in the Abyss.
21. The swamp is damaging to Kain in BO but not Raziel. Perhaps the water
immunity he gained from Rahab protects him.
22. The statue of Moebius holding Vorador's head up high is misleading for
those who have not played BO. It was the executioner who held Vorador's head
up. (Although it is true that there would be no reason to memorialise the
executioner)
23. An awful lot of people seem to be memorialised in the Sarafan Stronghold;
the Sarafan (obviously), Janos, Kain, William the Just, Vorador, the six
members of the Circle of Nine killed by Vorador, and Moebius.
24. BO said that Janos was born in Uschtenheim; in this game, we find out
that he did not live there but in a Retreat north of the town.
25. When the player leaves a Forge after forging the Reaver, the door seals
permanently. However, the Dark Forge door is sealed permanently in the
Sarafan Era even though the Reaver has not been forged within yet. Maybe
somebody messed around with the crows. (If you don't know what I mean, ask
another LOK fan, they'll know what I mean.)
26. In the Sarafan Era, it's impossible to get to the entrance of the Air
Forge because that ledge is too high. In the Demon Era, the upper portion of
the ledge has apparently corroded away.
27. Just what happened to the air current activator leading to the mountains
between the Sarafan Era and Moebius' Crusade Era?
28. When Raziel arrives in the Sarafan Era, if the player goes towards the
Pillars, Raziel comments on the Sarafan killings at the Pillars and the
Sarafan themselves just outside the Pillars instead of where I've placed them
in the Plot Guide. Also, if the player goes to the Sarafan Stronghold, Raziel
comments on how the frozen lake prevents him from opening the gates.
29. When you fight the Sarafan Inquisitors, take notice that the Blood Reaver
actually does suck in blood.
30. The image of the snake eating its tail in the chapter house of the
Stronghold and on the checkpoint markers are symbolic of the 'Full Circle'
theme of the game.
31. The BO save points return in this game except they've changed colour from
red to blue. Symbolic of Kain and Raziel's colours?
32. Here's something that not many SR2 players have discovered. After the
scene with Ariel, when the demon appears, walk slowly towards it without
attacking it and it will pull these snake-like creatures (presumably its
spawn) out of the ground to attack you!
33. The Elder God was apparently lying in SR when he said, 'By destroying the
sword, you have liberated it from its corporeal prison and restored it to its
true form, a Wraith Blade', seeing as the Reaver's true form is not the
Wraith Blade.
34. Unlike other enemies in the game, Sarafan Raziel can recover from his
waver state. In order to kill him, you *have* to impale him.
35. Raziel's rage against the Sarafan is clearly emphasised by his
uncharacteristic use of profanity.
36.'Eric Chinault' points out that the Unspoken and the horned fire demons
share an *incredible* resemblance. It seems only to be a coincidence however
as the Unspoken appearance in BO was only a malformation of Mortanius' body.
An interesting observation, nonetheless.
37. We find out in this game that Janos Audron turned the human Vorador into
a vampire.
38. When the player swims past the Elder God, he gives advice or threats to
Raziel. It's somewhat amusing to see these threats get more menacing as you
progress through the game.
39. As pointed out by 'ovejaelectrica', in the first and second time eras,
look at the Sarafan murals into the Full Circle room (first time era is
best). On Rahab's armour are seahorses and a demon is behind Dumah.
40. Apparently the Ancients weren't quite sure just what Raziel looked like.
In the Fire Forge, although the statue looks like Raziel, it has big Ancient-
like wings. In the Air Forge, (as pointed out by 'ovejaelectrica') in the
rooms where you obtain the hearts, the mural shows a big, winged being with
cloven hands and *no face*! Update: The Defiance murals of the Vampire
Saviour show even more of their doubt.
41. While Raziel needed two hands to throw a telekinetic force projectile in
SR, in this game, he can now do it with one hand. Apparently Raziel has
become more proficient at it.
42. Moebius' staff has been changed. While it was just a stick with a crystal
ball on it in BO and SR, a snake has been wrapped around the stick now. His
attire has also been slightly altered.
43. You cannot close-suck the souls of humans like you could in SR. (Walk
close enough to them and suck) Probably because the game would have been too
easy if you could do this.
44. Notice that Rahab was the only Sarafan inquisitor not present at Janos
Audron's death. Perhaps he was just outside guarding the exit or perhaps
there is a deeper reason behind this?
45. In the opening FMV, Raziel summons the Wraith Blade prior to stepping in
the Chronoplast portal. But Raziel does not yet have the ability to summon
the Wraith Blade at will at this point. Apparently, GlyphX (creators of the
FMV) were not aware of this and that is the reason for this error.
46. 'Sol Ace 1' points out the irony that Janos, while not a true Guardian,
is the only one of them who were sustained by their obligation to the
Pillars.
47. So far, this is the only LOK game without innocent humans either chained
up, roaming around or both. This is probably because if you performed random
acts of violence on innocent humans, it probably wouldn't fit in with
Raziel's new attitude of re-embracing his former humanity at the start of the
game. To be honest, there is really only one location where innocent humans
are likely to be roaming around in this game and that is Uschtenheim. In the
post BO era, Raziel tells us it's abandoned and in the Sarafan Era, it's
likely they were told to stay indoors by the Sarafan due to the 'Janos Audron
threat'.
48. A bit of Defiance foreshadowing here. In the Dark Forge, look up at the
purple crystal then look on one of the adjacent walls. You will a mural of a
vampire that looks uncannily like Kain but with wings!
49. Raziel appears to be the only one of the Sarafan who retained their human
voice. Note that his brethren evolved more than he did however so perhaps
their further evolution affected their voice boxes as well.
50. 'Pedro' points out that Mortanius is unaccounted for during Vorador's
massacre. Vorador was killing six of them and Moebius and Malek were with
(Wraith) Raziel. Where was Mortanius? Amy Hennig has said 'This has not been
revealed yet'.
51. Ironically, there's a mural of a person with a hole in his chest in
Janos' Retreat. You can find it inside the tower structures and you may see
it in Janos' balcony chamber during the cutscene.
52. All the collapses of Janos' Retreat ensure that Raziel cannot return
there and to Janos' body at all. I fail to see how Raziel planned to get back
up there after retrieving the Heart.
53. We all know that if Kain steps in water, he will be burnt alive. However,
I wonder whether he can actually swim in a non-water liquid e.g. the blood
pool in the Fire Forge.
54. For some strange reason, the symbol of the Wheel of Fate is on the
lakebed by the back exit to the Sarafan Stronghold (the area with the Light
Forge). Apparently, the Spirit Forge was originally meant to be located here.
55. The switches that we see Moebius use to configure the Time Streaming
Device are nowhere to be seen when outside of the cutscene.
56. On closer inspection of the figure under Janos' Balcony Chamber, I have
discovered that it looks frighteningly similar to Kain! This seems to be the
same Kain in observation 48.
57. In the Plot Guide, I've only mentioned the green bladed demons, but there
are five other types of demon; a grey demon with electric fork arms, a purple
demon with gives off toxic gas (not that type), a red horned fire demon, a
larger black-red horned fire demon and the demon spawn mentioned in
observation 32.
58. The progression of increasingly difficult human enemies in each era is
quite logical. Firstly, we have Moebius' vampire hunters, which only had had
20 years experience; then we have the demon hunters, who have been around for
130 years and have had to adapt to fight demons; and finally we have the
Sarafan warriors who have been around for at least a thousand years since the
vampire purge began.
59. For some unknown reason, the Moebius spirit that Raziel encounters in the
future is clutching his abdomen. This implies that Moebius sustained an
injury there but in BO, Moebius was killed simply by decapitation.
60. In the demon era, the giant doors to the Sarafan Stronghold have gone and
are nowhere to be seen. I'm rather concerned about what could've ripped those
doors off and carried/threw them away. It also appears to have ripped the
Light Reaver crystal off as well.
61. In that amusing scene, in the Air Forge, when Raziel places the first
heartstone into the corpse, we see that after the giant skull has swallowed
the soul, it blows out a gust of air that blows Raziel across the room.
However, if you walk back up to it yourself, nothing happens; the air has no
effect on Raziel. You can even glide up right in front of the skull!
62. There is evidence that the Ancients are aware of the Spectral Realm and
of their saviour's ability to transcend realms as they have placed the symbol
of the shift glyph in the Forges and in the lake in front of Janos' Retreat;
and designed stairways, platforms etc. that only appear in the Spectral Realm
within the Forges.
63. Raziel adopts a strange attitude to a door that he opens in the swamp. In
the first era, he kicks it open but that was only because it was jammed; in
the Demon era, it kicks it open, enough though there appears to be no problem
with the door but in the Sarafan Era, he does open it normally.
64. For some reason, the demon hunters and Demons all put aside their
differences to attack Raziel if he gets too close to them.
65. In BO, some villagers in Uschtenhiem comment that Janos screamed for four
days and nights after his heart was removed and vowed vengeance. This is
obviously proven to be false in this game.
66. In BO, the spirits of the Sarafan that Malek had fused to their armour
were attired in purple. However, in this game, they are all attired in red
(with the exception of the sorceresses)
67. There is a new type of Sluagh introduced in this game. It's more 'dog-
like', walking on four legs and is tougher and larger than regular Sluagh.
68. In SR, if Raziel was holding a weapon when he shifted into the Spectral
Realm, the weapon would float in the air in the position where Raziel had
been holding it. However, in this game, he just drops them as he shifts.
Also, weapons do not stick into walls after being thrown into them (as was
the case in SR).
69. As shown when he pulls the doors of William's chapel shut, Moebius has
telekinetic powers. Yet there are times throughout the whole series where it
would have been to his advantage to use them but doesn't.
70. Seeing as the vampires impaled upon stakes do not possess cloven hands,
they must not have been vampires for more than at least 400 years (as shown
by the BO2-exclusive vampires not possessing cloven hands).
71. Whereas souls were green in SR; in this game, human souls are yellow and
demon/thrall souls are blue skulls.
72. Vorador comments that, 'In merely a decade, Moebius' cutthroat citizen
army has nearly accomplished what the Sarafan could not'. However, the era in
which he says this is 20 years after the murder of William the Just. Did the
humans wait 10 years before they started the war on vampires.
73. Despite it being so restrictive that Raziel has to wade through it, he's
still able to perform those fast dodges within the swamp. Raziel's enemies
however still wade through the swamp regardless of whether they're in combat
or not.
74. If you're holding a weapon when Raziel uses the Time Streaming Device in
the Swamp, you can use Demon Hunters' weapons in the Sarafan Era.
75. In BO, Time Streaming Devices were portable handheld objects whereas in
this game, they're a pedestal with a switch contained within a room with
dials to set them.
76. If Moebius had sent Raziel to an era prior to the creation of the Sarafan
(as Raziel had demanded), would that mean that Raziel would arrive in an
empty field since the Sarafan Stronghold hadn't been built yet?
77. Raziel has some special unique finishing moves on the fire demon. If
bare-handed, he grabs their horns and twists their neck and if equipped with
a pike, he stabs their head with it.
78. In the Sarafan Stronghold, there are some bodies of Demon Hunters impaled
with swords. Did the demons use the swords to impale them or were Demon
Hunters paranoid and attacked their own?
79. The Moebius 'spirit' comments that Kain is the sole survivor of the
vampire race. This implies that 100 years after his decision, Kain had still
not learnt how to create vampires yet.
80. Why exactly did Moebius build a Time Streaming Device within the swamp?
It's not exactly one of the most accessible areas.
81. Raziel's determination to rescue Janos is shown well by him rushing
through the door before it fully opened (whereas in the rest of the game he
stands and waits for doors to fully open before entering). However this is
somewhat ruined by him standing there watching when he had a clear 30 seconds
to stop the Sarafan.
82. Sarafan Raziel doesn't have a ponytail like the vampire Raziel does. I
presume it was a personal preference by vampire Raziel.
83. I wonder what William's chapel was used for during the Sarafan era? There
appears to be nothing in there but the gates are locked.
84. For easily aiming, a reticule has added in this game for whenever you aim
a telekinetic bolt or weapon.
85. In this game, the blue streaking lines across Raziel which signify
Raziel's material body is growing weak only appear when it is on the
precipice of destruction.
#######################################################
6. BLOOD OMEN 2 -THE LEGACY OF KAIN SERIES- [2002]
#######################################################
Platforms: Sony Playstation 2, Microsoft Xbox, Nintendo GameCube, PC
First Released: 26th March 2002 (US), 29th March 2002 (UK)
Classification: M (US), 15 (UK)
Published by: Eidos
Developed by: Crystal Dynamics
Directed by: Glen A. Schofield
Produced by: Sam Newman
Music by: Jim Hedges
Written by: Bret Robbins and Steve Ross
-------------------------------------------------------
'Kain is back to reclaim the high throne of bloodlust
and brutality.
Cast down from power by a mysterious warlord centuries
ago, Kain awakens in a world he barely recognises. His
armies slain and his brethren nearly extinct, Kain is
among the last of his kind. Driven by vengeance, Kain
shall unleash a vicious wrath to uncover the plot that
threatens the land he seeks to conquer.'
-------------------------------------------------------
The second game in which we play as Kain, this is considered to be the worst
Legacy of Kain game so far by the majority of LOK fans and is of a much lower
standard than the rest of the series, containing a plethora of glitches and
disregard for previous games' story. The main reason for this is that this
game was created by a different team in Crystal Dynamics and not the Amy
Hennig team.
This game places the player as Kain who was defeated 200 years ago by a
mysterious warlord. Kain awakens in a mysterious land after a 200-year coma
in search for vengeance. He discovers however that this mysterious warlord is
much more than he originally imagined...
This game is heavily based on combat, containing more weapons than all the
other LOK games combined and has very simple puzzles to solve compared to the
previous games. This games follows on 400 years after Blood Omen and explains
who the 'Hylden' that Kain mentions in SR2 are. The FMVs in this game are
only slightly better graphically than the regular in game graphics.
This game is even more linear than SR2, not allowing the player to visit
previous areas at all. This game is separated into chapters (read: levels)
that I will use to separate the plot summary like in the SR2 summary.
############
i) The Plot
############
'FOUR HUNDRED YEARS AFTER THE NOBLEMAN KAIN
WAS CURSED TO WALK THE NIGHT AS A VAMPIRE
AND CENTURIES BEFORE KAIN WOULD RULE THE
WASTELAND OF NOSGOTH WITH HIS LIEUTENANT RAZIEL
HIS PATH OF CONQUEST IS STOPPED BY A NEW ENEMY
THE PILLARS OF NOSGOTH LIE IN RUIN
VAMPIRES ROAM THE LAND ONCE AGAIN
AND THE LEGACY OF KAIN CONTINUES'
400 years after choosing to refuse the sacrifice and restore Nosgoth, Kain
awakens in an unfamiliar room with amnesia and is greeted by a female vampire
called Umah. She tells Kain that his long sleep has affected his memory and
reminds him of his name and that he was once powerful.
As Kain rises, Umah tells him that when they found his body he was barely
alive and that that they brought him to where he is now, the Capital of
Nosgoth, Meridian. Umah asks Kain whether he remembers that he is a vampire,
Kain shows his fangs in response.
Umah then leads Kain to the window balcony to show him the streets outside.
She begins to remind Kain of his history. She tells Kain that he has been
asleep for 200 years. He was once General of an army of vampires but an army
of vampire hunters called the Sarafan used a new kind of magic to defeat his
army. Kain was defeated in mortal combat with their leader, the Sarafan Lord.
Everybody thought that Kain was dead.
During the 200 years that Kain has been asleep, the Sarafan took control of
Nosgoth, enslaved the humans and attempted to eliminate the vampire race. As
Kain guesses, the Sarafan have not succeeded yet, and Umah tells him that his
help is needed to destroy the Sarafan and restore order to Nosgoth.
Umah reveals that she is a member of the Cabal, a vampire resistance trying
to oppose the Sarafan. She tells Kain that the Cabal is losing since the
Sarafan, with their 'glyph' magic, are easily able to find and kill vampires
with it. The Cabal needs Kain's help.
Kain, having been 'dead' for 200 years, is unknown to the Sarafan and can
hence go where the other vampires cannot. Umah urges Kain to seek vengeance
upon the Sarafan Lord for defeating him and then continue his quest to rule
Nosgoth. Kain is reluctant to once again be a pawn but Umah attempts to
reassure him by telling him that all the Cabal wants from him is for him to
succeed, because if he succeeds, they all succeed.
After trying to gain Kain's trust, Umah warns Kain about the many dangers
that await him. In an arrogant tone, Kain tells Umah that he has no fear of
dangers and will have the Sarafan Lord dead within one hour. Sensing his
arrogance, Umah tells him that it will not be that easy, since he is
protected by vampires, who serve him in fear for their lives.
Kain looks forward to killing them but Umah tells him that his 200-year sleep
has weakened him and he would be unlikely to survive in combat against them
at this very moment. However, she tells Kain that when he does defeat them,
he will be able to absorb their veins and gain 'Dark Gifts'.
Their talk is interrupted when Kain is weakened by hunger. Umah leads Kain
outside to feed.
###########################################
CHAPTER 1 - THE SLUMS - WELCOME TO MERIDIAN
###########################################
Outside, Umah reminds the amnesiatic Kain about the Whisper, a natural
ability of vampires, which allows them to talk telekinetically to each other,
even over long distances. She tells Kain that they are within the Slums of
Meridian, the oldest and most decrepit part of Meridian, the perfect place to
train Kain. Although he protests over this remark, Umah argues that his 200-
year slumber has weakened him and he will need to recover his strength and
skill.
Umah tells Kain that vampires are able to jump higher and farther than any
human ever and has the ability to use his claws to descend slowly and
silently.
Umah leads Kain to a prisoner chained to the wall and tells him that this man
had tried to kill a vampire but Umah had captured him. Kain is uninterested
in his story, kills him and drinks his blood to restore his strength.
Sadistically, Kain laughs as he does this. Umah then explains to Kain about
vampires' need of blood to survive. She tells Kain that drinking blood will
improve his durability or his 'lore'. The more lore Kain has, the harder to
kill he will be.
When the two vampires arrive at the docks, Umah reminds Kain that while it is
harmless to humans, water burns vampires like acid. Seeing a coffer nearby,
Umah explains to Kain that these were left by their ancestors' aeons ago. She
explains that these coffers, while useless to humans, contain energy within
that vampires can absorb to increase their lore.
When they arrive at a strange green gate of energy, Umah explains that these
are 'Ward Gates' developed by the Sarafan as defence barriers against
vampires. If a vampire touches one of them, s/he will be burned. Unable to
progress this way, Umah leads Kain into a nearby sewer to teach him to fight.
In there, Umah proceeds to teach Kain on how to attack with his claws, block
with his gauntlets, grab and throw his opponents. Further along in the
sewers, Kain revives his combat skills by fighting gang members. He drinks
their blood to restore his strength.
Kain arrives in a misty cemetery and Umah contacts him via the Whisper. She
tells Kain that he possesses a Dark Gift, which allows him to assume a Mist
form and becomes almost invisible. With this, Kain can conceal himself in
misty areas to silently kill people and hide from his enemies.
Kain sees a strange box with a valve attached to it and pipes leading out of
it. Umah explains that this is the Glyph energy brought by the Sarafan. The
Sarafan use it as a power supply to all of Nosgoth. She tells Kain that if he
activates the Glyph box in front of him, power will be supplied to the lever
of the locked gate nearby. Kain does as Umah instructs and proceeds through
the gate.
Kain and Umah then catch sight of a Glyph Wright. Umah explains that this is
one of many of a secretive society within Nosgoth who are regularly seen
maintaining Glyph boxes but rarely talk to anybody. Little is known about
them.
Umah tells Kain that beyond their current location is the market and beyond
that is the bridge leading to the lower city. She instructs Kain to go there
while she scouts ahead and dispatches of any Sarafan that Kain is not ready
to fight yet. Umah then teleports away.
Kain arrives at the bridge and meets Umah. She tells Kain that she is taking
him to Sanctuary, the headquarters of the Cabal, to meet their leader. Umah
and Kain are seen by a Sarafan Guard, who runs to raise a Ward Gate. Umah
makes it through but Kain does not and is repelled by the gate. Whilst
evading a Sarafan Guard's sword, Umah tells Kain of another way to the lower
city via the Smuggler's Tunnel. She tells him to meet somebody at the Grand
Hotel, in the Slums, who will instruct him to the tunnel. Umah then lures the
Sarafan Guard across the bridge to his death.
Kain ponders over whether to follow Umah's orders or to go his own way. He
decides to do as Umah instructed, knowing that answers await him at
Sanctuary.
Kain arrives at the Grand Hotel and meets a human. He explains that he and
the other humans hate the Sarafan and want the vampires to bring them down.
As the two of them talk, somebody quickly leaps behind a set of stairs
unnoticed and hides from their sight. The human points Kain to the Smuggler's
Den but warns him about the violent and hostile rogues in there. Kain
promises to kill them.
Before he sets off into the Smuggler's Den, the human asks Kain to tell Umah
that he helped Kain because she promised him the Dark Gift if he did. Kain
tells the human that Umah will give him what he deserves. When Kain has gone,
the person hiding behind the set of stairs jumps out of his hiding place and
kills the human.
##############################################
CHAPTER TWO - THE DEN - CREATURES OF THE NIGHT
##############################################
As Kain exits a building, Umah calls him via the whisper. Umah introduces the
Smuggler's Den to Kain. She explains that it is more offensive than the Slums
inhabiting dangerous rogues and thieves along with the Sarafan. She tells
Kain that he will find more trouble than help here.
After Kain asks about the Smuggler's Tunnel, Umah tells Kain that she herself
doesn't know where it is, but she has informed a member of the Cabal to help
him. He is currently waiting for Kain in a nearby tavern.
Kain arrives in the Tavern and meets the contact. He tells Kain that the
Smuggler's tunnel is hidden in a cavern underground. He instructs Kain to go
beyond the church to a collapsed section of the district and use a lift there
to get underground. Finally, he warns Kain about the thieves and smugglers
who guard it. Kain tells the man that he will be 'careful'. Suddenly, the
bartender of the tavern realizes that Kain is a vampire and calls for the
Sarafan. Kain escapes before the Sarafan arrive.
Kain uses the lift and on the way to the tunnel, Kain sees the person, who
attacked the human back in the Slums, talking to some Glyph Wrights. He
appears to be a vampire. The Glyph Wrights vanish after talking to him.
Kain arrives in a huge fan room and meets the vampire at last. Kain
recognises him as Faustus, a former soldier of his army but now a traitor.
Faustus explains that by serving the Sarafan, he is immune to them, and
claims that there no better way of hunting down vampires than with a more
powerful vampire i.e. himself.
Kain asks Faustus how many vampires have been destroyed by the Sarafan and by
him. Faustus replies that he does not care about them since they are destined
to die anyway and he certainly won't weep at Kain's death.
Kain asks Faustus to look around him and tell him if he believes his victory
is ensured. Faustus claims that this is just a minor setback and that the
Sarafan Lord knows that Kain is alive and will kill Kain this time. Kain
tells Faustus that he will never know how the battle between him and the
Sarafan Lord will end since Kain will kill him first.
The two vampires battle and Kain manages to harm Faustus, who runs into an
adjacent room and promises a surprise for Kain. Kain follows Faustus into a
room with boilers on each of the four walls. Faustus jumps onto a boiler and
throws balls of fire at Kain. Kain dodges these and notices the mist in front
of the boiler. He turns invisible and increases the fire in the boiler so
that he burns Faustus. Then incredibly Faustus jumps all the way up to the
scaffolding on the ceiling and then leaps down at Kain. Kain dodges his
attack and strikes him down. Faustus attempts to jump up once again to the
ceiling but depleted of his strength, he doesn't make it, falls back down and
dies due to the fall.
Kain consumes his veins and hence gains Faustus' ability to jump incredible
distances. Outside, the Smugglers' Tunnel is within Kain's sight but the
bridge is broken. Kain uses his new ability to jump across the gap and then
goes into the tunnel.
######################################################
CHAPTER THREE - THE LOWER CITY - IN DARKNESS WE GATHER
######################################################
Exiting the tunnel, Kain finds Umah waiting for him. She congratulates Kain
on managing to survive the Smugglers' Den. Kain asks who the leader of the
Cabal is but Umah refuses to name him in public. Umah tells Kain to go to
Sanctuary to meet their leader. She jumps over Kain and onto a building.
Before she leaves, Kain scolds for her for treating him like an errand boy.
She reminds Kain that he is no longer a General and is in a position
unsuitable to demand anything. Again she tells Kain to go to Sanctuary, for
she will not be joining him for now as she has her own orders to investigate
the Industrial Quarter in the North of Meridian.
Umah tries to leaves but Kain stops her and demands for the Sarafan Lord but
Umah tells him that he is not ready to face him. Kain warns Umah not to
underestimate him; she doesn't but also she does not want Kain killed by
facing the Sarafan Lord before he is strong enough. Relenting, Kain asks
where Sanctuary is; Umah tells him that the tapster of the Red Raven pub will
tell him. Umah jumps across to another building then tells Kain that he has
impressed her before leaving to go to the Industrial Quarter. Kain wonders
why he trusts her.
On the way to the pub, Kain comes across a man behind a locked gate who
refuses to let Kain through unless he tells him whom he works for. Unable to
proceed this way, this continues on to the bar.
Inside the pub, Kain talks with the tapster. She tells Kain that 'voices in
the dark' told her to tell Kain to seek a messenger near the warehouse. Also,
she tells Kain that he needs to tell Duncan that he works for Ducket's
Traders to be allowed through the gate. Kain realises that 'Duncan' is the
man he saw earlier.
Kain tells Duncan the password and then proceeds to the warehouse. At a
nearby newsstand, Kain sees who he assumes is the messenger. The messenger
tells Kain that Sanctuary is hidden underneath the Blue Lady shop in the east
of the district. He tells Kain to use the rooftops, sewers and alleys to get
there because the Sarafan have blocked off all the roads. He instructs Kain
to an alley and to give the gateman there, the password 'ever night'. Kain
does so and continues on to Sanctuary.
In a market square, there are dead, bloody bodies lying everywhere and there
is a human crawling on the ground barely alive. Suddenly, a vampire jumps
down and kills him. The vampire recognises Kain but Kain with his amnesia
does not remember him. Kain asks the vampire how he knows him but the vampire
merely tells Kain that he is needed elsewhere then runs off at incredible
speed.
Kain manages to catch up with him then scolds him for such reckless and
squanderous killing. The vampire tells Kain that he himself is in no danger
but Kain is. Kain realizes that this vampire serves the Sarafan. The vampire
responds to this that he only serves himself, and then tells Kain that he
remembers how much he hates Kain's arrogance. After vowing to kill Kain at a
later time, he runs off again but this time Kain is unable to follow.
Kain finally makes it to the Blue Lady shop and goes into the basement. Kain
recognises the leader. It is Vorador. Kain remembers him and that he should
not trust him.
Kain pretends to be honoured to be in Vorador's presence. Vorador knows this
is an act and tells Kain that it is unnecessary. He knows that the two of
them are only allies because they need to be. Vorador then welcomes Kain to
Sanctuary. Kain comments on how it does not possess the wealth and
magnificence of his old mansion. Vorador tells Kain that it suffices as a
haven for the vampires.
He informs Kain that the Sarafan are growing in power and the vampire race is
once again nearing extinction. Kain reminds Vorador that he once created
vampires, who became his army and asks him to create more vampires. Vorador
tells Kain that he does not have the strength to create any more and then
tells Kain that they will need to kill the Sarafan Lord in order to collapse
the Sarafan.
Before the two of them can begin a plan, a heavily injured vampire enters
Sanctuary. He tells Vorador that Umah, has been captured by the Sarafan,
while finding something of great significance in the Industrial Quarter. The
vampire does not know what she found but does know that she is being taken to
the Sarafan Keep for execution.
Vorador implores Kain to save Umah and her information because he is the only
one of them able to disguise his presence. However, the main entrance of the
Sarafan Keep is too heavily guarded for Kain to enter. Kain needs to find the
Bishop of Meridian in the upper city, as he knows a secret entrance into the
Sarafan Keep. Kain is amazed that a Bishop allies with vampires but Vorador
explains that they had promised him immortality. Vorador urges Kain to find
the Bishop before Umah is killed.
###################################################
CHAPTER FOUR - THE UPPER CITY - A QUESTION OF FAITH
###################################################
Kain arrives in the Upper City via a tram and heads towards the Bishop's
manor. On his way, he meets another of his former vampire soldiers, Marcus.
Marcus lies behind a locked gate. Kain calls Marcus his old friend but Marcus
disagrees since Kain had tried to kill him 200 years ago. Kain merely
comments that he seems to have failed.
Marcus claims that Kain feared his growing powers and begged him to fight
along side him. Kain denies that he ever begged. Marcus tells Kain that after
Kain believed him to be dead, he fled into hiding and when the Sarafan Lord
defeated Kain, he went and allied with him.
Kain promises to kill Marcus completely this time but Marcus claims that now
his powers have increased so that now he has the ability to charm and control
all living things. Marcus attempts to charm Kain but Kain's strong mind
easily shakes it off. Marcus is shocked that Kain managed this.
However, Marcus still managed to read Kain's mind and knows that Kain is
looking for the Bishop of Meridian. He vows to kill the Bishop before Kain
gets to him. Then Marcus charms two priests to attack Kain. Kain kills them,
opens the gate and runs after Marcus.
In a street, Marcus orders a Sarafan Guard to take him to the Bishop's manor
and to kill Kain. Kain arrives in the street and is contacted by Vorador via
the Whisper. He tells Kain that the Bishop lives at the other end of the city
and warns him about the Sarafan patrols.
Arriving near the Bishop's manor, Kain sees Marcus enter. Following shortly
after, the Bishop is nowhere to be seen. Kain catches sight of a human who
claims to be the Bishop's butler. He tells Kain that the Bishop was accused
by the Sarafan of helping the Cabal and they are currently searching the
place for evidence. Kain demands to know where the Bishop is but the butler
denies any knowledge of his location. Kain tells the butler that he is sent
by Vorador then threatens to kill him. The butler is quick to tell Kain that
the Bishop is hiding in the Cathedral. He opens a secret passageway behind a
bookcase for Kain to quickly reach the cathedral.
Inside the cathedral, Kain meets the Bishop and he asks for entry into the
secret passage into the Sarafan Keep but the Bishop is unable to talk and
only manages to mumble. The reason why soon appears; Marcus reveals he has
taken control of the Bishop and threatens to kill the Bishop if Kain does not
surrender. Kain is unmoved by the threat and threatens to kill Marcus. Marcus
runs out of the cathedral with Kain in pursuit.
Kain chases Marcus to the stained glass roof of the cathedral. Suddenly the
glass breaks and the two vampires fall to the ground. Marcus gets up and
turns invisible. Kain runs and activates the cathedral's bells that hurts
Marcus' ears and makes him visible. Kain attacks Marcus who disappears again
and charms priests to cut the ropes of the bells. Kain chases Marcus upstairs
and kills the charmed priests. Kain throws Marcus off the top of the balcony
and absorbs his ability to charm.
The Bishop appears and thanks Kain for killing Marcus. Kain asks the Bishop
for the secret entry into the Sarafan Keep. The Bishop agrees to lead Kain
there and does so.
###################################################
CHAPTER FIVE - THE SARAFAN KEEP - HOUSE OF MY ENEMY
###################################################
Kain walks out of a secret passage and arrives near the Sarafan Keep's moat.
Vorador contacts him via the Whisper and congratulates Kain on making it this
far. Kain tells Vorador that he has killed Marcus. Vorador tells Kain that he
had tried many times to persuade Marcus to join the Cabal unsuccessfully.
Vorador tells Kain that Umah is being held at the top of the keep. Kain asks
whether the Sarafan Lord is here but Vorador tells him that his senses are
unable to detect him for some reason. Vorador tells Kain to hide if he sees
the Sarafan Lord and to run if the Sarafan Lord sees him. Kain refuses to
perform such cowardly actions. Vorador urges Kain to find Umah as the
information she gained may help them defeat the Sarafan Lord and not to
destroy this chance with hasty action.
Inside the Sarafan Keep, Kain's search for Umah is stalled by a Ward Gate;
nearby there is a human woman who works for the Cabal. She tells Kain that
Umah is held in the upper towers but she will not deactivate the Ward Gate
for Kain to pass. She tells Kain that a nobleman called Artemis is currently
visiting the keep; he has done serious damage to the Cabal and needs to be
killed. Despite Kain's protests, she will only deactivate the Ward Gate when
Artemis is dead. Kain kills him and his Sarafan escorts. Satisfied, the woman
deactivates the Gate allowing Kain to pass.
At the top of the Keep, Kain finds Umah chained up inside a cage. Umah is
surprised that Kain dared to rescue her. Kain walks up to Umah but is
prevented from doing so by a Ward Gate. Umah tells Kain to deactivate the
Glyph box powering the Gate. Kain asks Umah what she found in the Industrial
Quarter in case he cannot free her. Umah tells him that the information is
only for Vorador. Slightly disappointed, Kain asks whether he has gained her
trust yet; she claims that he will once he frees her.
Outside, Kain deactivates the Glyph and rescues Umah. Umah tells him that she
will teleport both of them back to Sanctuary once they are outside. However,
the Sarafan Lord is waiting for them outside.
Kain is pleased to see his old enemy but disgusted to see the Soul Reaver in
his hands. The Sarafan Lord is surprised to see Kain and Kain threatens to
kill him. The Sarafan Lord is amused that Kain still believes he can defeat
him. Kain lunges at the Sarafan Lord but is knocked back by a projectile from
the Soul Reaver.
The Sarafan Lord taunts Kain and vows to kill him this time. Kain tries again
to hit the Sarafan Lord but Umah holds him back, telling him that both of
them are too weak to battle the Sarafan Lord armed with the Soul Reaver.
The Sarafan Lord corners the two of them and brings the Soul Reaver down upon
Kain. Fortunately, Umah manages to teleport both of them away above the
Reaver strikes Kain.
Kain and Umah arrive back in Sanctuary where Vorador thanks Kain are rescuing
Umah. Kain tells Vorador that they met the Sarafan Lord much to Vorador's
surprise. Umah tells Vorador that in the main factory of the Industrial
Quarter, she found a huge central chamber with a portal in it. The portal was
held open by something that Umah believes to be the Nexus Stone.
Kain asks what the Nexus Stone is; Vorador explains that it is an object able
to bend space and time to create doorways to anywhere in Nosgoth. He also
explains that the wearer of the Nexus is immune to the Soul Reaver. Kain
doubts the veracity of this statement but Vorador tells Kain that the Sarafan
Lord wore it when he defeated Kain 200 years ago.
Kain vows to take the Nexus Stone then use it to kill the Sarafan Lord. He
tells Vorador that he claims ownership of it once he retrieves it from the
Industrial Quarter. After Kain shows he is committed to killing the Sarafan
Lord, Vorador tells him to take the subway to the northeast part of the city
to get to the Industrial Quarter. Umah tells Kain that the Nexus Stone lies
in the main factory. Kain vows to return with the Nexus Stone and the Sarafan
Lord's head.
######################################################
CHAPTER SIX - THE INDUSTRIAL QUARTER - THE NEXUS STONE
######################################################
Inside the Industrial Quarter, Kain sneaks around and avoids being seen by
the guards. He slips into a building noticed and proceeds to the top. There,
Vorador contacts him via the Whisper and tells him that the main factory
where the Nexus Stone is lies beyond the dam. At the dam, Kain will need to
take a gondola to the main factory. Also, he warns Kain that he senses
another vampire in the area.
Kain takes the gondola and arrives in the main factory. Inside, he sees the
vampire he saw in the lower city talking to the factory guards. He orders
them to increase the guards around the power chamber and to not allow Kain
near the Nexus Stone.
Kain dispatches of the guards and eventually makes it to a dais. Kain steps
on it and it raises him up to the circular power chamber and the Nexus Stone.
He is about to take it when the vampire calls him. Now, in the light, Kain
recognises him. His name is Sebastian, another former lieutenant of his.
Sebastian tells Kain that the Sarafan Lord has sent him to stop Kain. Kain
remembers that 200 years ago, Sebastian betrayed Kain and arranged an ambush
that destroyed Kain's army. He asks Sebastian why he betrayed him; Sebastian
explains to him that he refused to serve Kain while he ruled Nosgoth. The
Sarafan Lord agreed to let him rule by his side.
Kain is amused by Sebastian's naivety and tells him that once the Sarafan
Lord has no longer any use for Sebastian, he will dispose of him. Kain offers
to kill Sebastian before this happens. Sebastian tells Kain that his powers
have increased while Kain has been asleep and that Kain will not be able to
defeat him.
Kain and Sebastian battle in the power room. The vents around the room give
off steam and Kain knocks Sebastian into the steam. Sebastian gets up and
proceeds to run across the walls of the power chamber at great speed. The
Nexus Stone fires a beam of purple energy at the centre of the room.
Sebastian leaps off the wall at Kain but misses him and instead lands in the
beam of energy. This visibly harms him.
Sebastian orders the human in an adjacent room to raise the dais. Sebastian
jumps onto it and tells Kain he will destroy the Nexus Stone. Kain jumps on
the dais and Sebastian jumps back down. Before he pursues Sebastian, Kain
gets an idea; he charms the human in the adjacent room and controls him to
fill the lower section of the room with steam. Sebastian is forced to jump
back up onto the dais with Kain. Kain battles Sebastian up here and throws
him off the dais back into the steam. Sebastian is burned alive.
After the steam has cleared, Kain demands to know what the Sarafan Lord is
planning to do with the Nexus Stone and the portal. The dying Sebastian tells
Kain that he will tell him because he wants to see the look upon Kain's face
when he realises that there is nothing he can do to stop the Sarafan Lord.
The portal leads to ancient Device underneath Meridian. Kain demands to know
how this will serve the Sarafan Lord but Sebastian honestly doesn't know.
Sebastian then dies believing that Kain is powerless to stop the Sarafan
Lord.
Kain absorbs from Sebastian, his super speed, and is now able to go Berserk
upon his enemies. Kain jumps back on top of the dais, takes the Nexus Stone
and places it upon his chest. Suddenly the room begins to collapse, Kain
jumps into the adjacent room with the steam controls then the room explodes.
Kain awakens in Sanctuary. Vorador explains that a vampire saw Kain thrown
off the roof of the factory by the explosion and the vampire carried him
back. Kain thanks Vorador for not taking the Nexus Stone from him when he was
unconscious. He tells Vorador about the Device. Vorador has heard legends
about machines left underground aeons ago. He tells Kain that there is a
being older than he is, the Seer, who can tell Kain what he needs to know.
Vorador instructs Kain to go to her but Kain is incredulous that he can leave
the city. Vorador tells Kain that there is a secret passage leading out of
the city and into the canyons. Kain will need to follow the canyons to get to
the Seer's house. However, Vorador warns Kain about the demons infesting the
roads, Kain tells Vorador that he's already met one of them before he sets
out.
#########################################
CHAPTER SEVEN - THE CANYONS - WILD PLACES
#########################################
Kain walks out of a secret passage concealed within a cave and heads out. He
then sees a human trader in a cart stop in front of the city gates and talk
to a Sarafan Knight. From the conversation between the two of them, Kain
learns that the bridge has fallen and has not been repaired yet because the
Sarafan are too busy dealing with 'culprits' infesting the roads. After they
are done talking, the Sarafan Knight orders to someone in the tower that the
gates be opened for the trader.
Kain infiltrates the tower and activates the gates so that he can escape from
the city. The Canyons are a very dangerous place with thieves, thugs and rock
falls everywhere. Later on, Kain sees the trader he saw earlier killed by
thieves and his cart raided.
Along the path, Kain sees a Sarafan Knight searching for whatever killed his
comrades. Suddenly, a demon jumps on and kills him. Kain kills it and
continues on. All along the path, Kain encounters more demons. Also Kain sees
a man crawling on the ground, babbling about a witch who cursed them all.
Apparently, he is talking about the Seer. Kain kills the man and resumes his
journey.
Kain finds a small house by the edge of a cliff and goes in. Inside, Kain
sees the Seer. The Seer has her back turned to him and dismisses him but Kain
does not leave. She turns and recognises Kain. She tells Kain that she knows
him better than he knows himself.
Kain asks about the Device but the Seer is reluctant to tell him and tells
him to return to his 'night hunting'. Kain demands once again information
about the Device and refuses to leave without answers. The Seer taunts Kain
about being Vorador's lapdog but Kain exclaims that he is no man's dog.
The Seer now realizes how determined Kain is to find the Device. She tells
him that the Device needs to be destroyed for Nosgoth to be healed. The
Device has been dormant for years under Meridian but now the Sarafan Lord
plans to use it to destroy Nosgoth. She tells Kain that the entrance is
underneath the centre of the city and is marked by a symbol that she
telepathically projects to Kain. She tells Kain that while a human cannot
operate that symbol, a vampire can.
Without warning, the Seer suddenly asks Kain to drink her blood. Kain backs
away in surprise and asks just what exactly the Seer is. She tells him that
it's no concern of his. Suddenly, the house is impacted by something. The
Seer warns Kain that the Sarafan Lord is here and urges him once again to
drink her blood. He does so and then she tells Kain, while he was previously
able to use telekinesis at close range only, by drinking her blood he can now
use it at long range. She tells Kain to use the long-range Telekinesis to
activate the symbol.
Outside the Sarafan Lord fires Soul Reaver projectiles at the Seer's house
along with several archers and Sarafan Knights. The Sarafan Lord vows to
destroy the vampires especially Kain. Back inside, the Seer prepares to
teleport Kain to the Device. Kain urges her to come with her as his ally but
she tells him that is not her destiny. She teleports Kain to the Device as
the house burns.
Kain arrives at the entrance of the Device unaware of what has happened to
the Seer. He uses his telekinesis to open the entrance just like the Seer
said. Kain walks inside and sees a Beast inside imprisoned within a cage of
Glyph magic.
The Beast recognises Kain but Kain does not and chalks it up to his amnesia.
The Beast tells Kain that the two of them have not met. Kain tells the Beast
that he will kill anybody who tries to stop him from destroying the Device.
It explains that the beings that created the Device have imprisoned it here
and used it to feed the Device.
The Beast tells Kain that the Device descends far underground and rivals a
city in its size. It tells Kain that he will need to find the Builder of the
Device who knows how to destroy it. Kain assumes that it's the Sarafan Lord
but the Beast corrects him telling him that it is far older than the Sarafan
Lord. It explains how aeons ago, the inhabitants of Nosgoth created many
structures including the Device. The Sarafan Lord only discovered how to use
it. Kain needs to find the Builder.
Kain finds it hard to believe that the Builder still lives. The Beast
explains that the Builder is in the Eternal Prison, a place where time is
frozen and the prisoners pay for their crimes eternally. Kain knows of the
Eternal Prison but did not know about its proximity to Meridian. The Beast
points out a door in the room leading to a tunnel that leads to the Eternal
Prison. Kain asks what to do if the Builder refuses to help him, the Beast
tells Kain to inform the Builder of his intent to destroy the Device.
Kain tells the Beast that the information that it has just divulged had
better be the truth. It tells Kain, as he leaves for the Eternal Prison, that
he can believe it because the destruction of the Device will free it.
##############################################
CHAPTER EIGHT - THE ETERNAL PRISON - BAD BLOOD
##############################################
Kain walks into the Eternal Prison and is 'greeted' by one of the Prison
Guardians. He asks Kain whether he is a guest, visitor or intruder. He goes
on to explain that in the Eternal Prison, there are dangerous prisoners who
have broken the laws of Gods and men, these prisoners are treated with
'peaceful, uninterrupted meditation' (which is actually torture), until they
are spiritually pure once again, even if that takes thousands of years. He
tells Kain that the process must not be interrupted or interfered with
therefore guests and visitors are not permitted and ominously warns Kain that
they know how to deal with intruders.
Kain ignores the Prison Guardian's warning and continues his search for the
Builder. However, the Prison Guardian appears again and warns Kain to leave
before he disrupts the prisoners' path to spiritual purity. A second Guardian
appears and activates a switch that distorts the room. Kain is then
teleported to a far part of the prison.
Kain runs back to the prison but the Prison Guardian appears once again.
Annoyed by Kain's persistence, he attacks Kain but Kain kills him and re-
enters the prison. Kain hits the switch back inside the prison, changing it
back to its original form and continues his search for the builder.
Kain walks past a glass window and sees a human prisoner screaming to be let
out and not be caught by 'him'. A bloody vampire bursts into the room and
demands poached, fresh, bloody meat. His behaviour suggests he is insane. Two
Prison Guardians appear and order him back to his cell. Instead, the insane
vampire attacks them and eats them. He tells the human prisoner that he is
free to go and throws him into the glass window killing him.
Kain goes up to the insane vampire and is attacked by him. Kain's weapons
knock the insane vampire down but are unable to kill him. Kain runs but is
chased by the insane vampire. Kain quickly jumps upon a platform and uses his
telekinesis to activate the switch to raise the platform. The insane vampire
tries to jump up to the ascending platform but misses and falls into the pool
of water below.
Kain continues his search but the insane vampire appears again to chase Kain.
Once again Kain forces him into water. The insane vampire reappears many
times again only to be submerged repeatedly.
Deep within the prison, Kain lowers once of the prison cells and out crawls a
prisoner. Kain kicks him. The prisoner realizes that Kain is not a Prison
Guardian and begs to be freed. Kain demands to know the location of the
Builder of the Device, the prisoner reveals that it is him. After Kain asks
how to destroy the Device, the Builder says that he will only tell him if
Kain ends his suffering. Kain agrees to this.
The Builder goes on to explain how aeons ago, there were two races that were
at war with each other. One of the races obtained a creature capable of
killing with a single thought. They designed the Device to channel the power
of this creature to kill every living thing in Nosgoth except the Builder's
race. However, before the Device was completed, the Builder was put in the
Eternal Prison and his race was banished into a 'terrible realm'.
The Builder tells Kain that the creature was called the 'Mass' and that it is
eternal. The Device needed a network placed throughout Nosgoth to channel the
Mass' energy for it to be completed. Kain realizes that the Sarafan Lord will
use the Glyph network to use the Device. The Builder tells Kain that he
cannot destroy the Device but needs to kill the Mass. He explains that the
blood of the Builder's race will kill the Mass and therefore destroy the
Device. He urges Kain to destroy the Device that he created in his arrogance
and pride. Kain ends the Builder's suffering by killing him and then drinks
his blood.
Kain activates a switch that causes sections of the Eternal Prison to explode
and become severely damaged. Two infuriated Prison Guardians appear and
attack Kain for destroying their experiment. Kain puts them down.
On his way out of the Eternal Prison, Kain is forced to navigate a deadly
maze, all the while being watched by the insane vampire. Eventually Kain
makes it out into a room with a pool in the centre surrounded by statues.
There is an explosion behind Kain, which seals his entrance. The insane
vampire appears, jumps onto a rock in the centre of the pool and threatens to
destroy Kain with his mind.
The insane vampire begins to charge up an attack and Kain dives behind one of
the statues to evade it. Suddenly the statue explodes into pieces and Kain is
forced to find cover elsewhere. However, while the insane vampire is
distracted, Kain decides to fire a telekinetic projectile at him; the insane
vampire is knocked in the water but manages to jump out.
He runs towards a locked door and smashes it open. He then proceeds to jump
down into the room below, Kain follows but as before Kain's weapons have no
effect on the insane vampire. Suddenly, the insane vampire charges at Kain,
Kain jumps out the way and the insane vampire crashes head first into the
statue that Kain was standing in front of. The statue raises and reveals a
switch, which Kain activates with his telekinesis. Kain decides to lure the
insane vampire into the three other statues in the room and activates the
switches on them.
When all three switches have been activated, the debris in the room rises up
in the air and forms itself into a statue, of the Time Guardian, Moebius,
upon a platform. Kain lures the insane vampire to charge at the platform.
Eventually the statue begins to fall. The insane vampire tries to run but is
hit by the statue and fatally injured.
Kain begins to leave the room but the insane vampire calls to him claiming
his insanity is gone and that he is Kain's champion. Kain initially believes
that this is some kind of pathetic charade but realizes that this vampire is
his best soldier of his army, Magnus.
Kain confronts Magnus about leaving his camp to join with the Sarafan Lord.
Magnus explains that he left to kill the Sarafan Lord but was defeated and
sent to the Eternal Prison by him. Kain decides to end Magnus' suffering by
killing him. Magnus thanks Kain. Kain absorbs from Magnus' veins his ability
to Immolate his enemies.
###########################################
CHAPTER NINE - THE DEVICE - INTO THE DEPTHS
###########################################
Kain returns to the Beast who senses the change in Kain. Kain explains to it
what happened with the Builder in the prison. The Beast once again urges Kain
to destroy the Device because time is now short.
Kain asks the Beast what it knows about the Mass, it tells Kain that it knows
that the Builder's blood will destroy the Device. The Beast points Kain
towards the door leading to the Device. Kain begins to leave but is stopped
by the Beast's voice. It explains to Kain who its captors are, those who
control the Glyph magic disguised as the Glyph Wrights, those who control the
Sarafan. It tells Kain that they beings known as the 'Hylden'. Kain realizes
that their leader is the Sarafan Lord.
After Kain is warned about the Hylden, he heads into the Device. Inside he
sees a Glyph Wright, suddenly it transforms into a creature that looks like
the Builder. Kain kills this Hylden and proceeds inside.
After fighting many Hylden and demons, Kain finally makes it to the Mass. He
walks on the platform above it and slits his wrist with his claw to let the
Builder's blood out upon the Mass. The Mass screams as it dies and the Device
begins to self-destruct, Kain quickly takes a lift back to the Beast.
However, the Beast is not there and in its place is a blue coloured, winged
vampire crouched down. As it rises, this vampire reveals himself to be Janos
Audron. He explains that the Hylden imprisoned him and used his blood to feed
the Mass. Over time, Janos devolved into the Beast. When the Mass died, Janos
regained his strength and thus restored himself.
Janos explains how aeons ago, vampires were godlike and ruled Nosgoth. But
another race opposed and warred with them for a thousand years. Eventually,
the Ancient vampires managed to banish that race to another dimension. He
explains that the other race was the Hylden. They plan to wipe out the
vampires, enslave the humans and rule Nosgoth. They have returned for
revenge.
Janos explains that when Kain refused to sacrifice himself, a rift between
dimensions was caused allowing the Sarafan Lord to escape. He then managed to
draw other Hylden out of the other dimension. He did not have the power to
begin a full-scale invasion but found out about the Sarafan vampire hunters
and decided to revive them.
Kain begins to believe that all this is his fault but then realizes that he
had been manipulated by the Hylden from the beginning. Janos tells him that
the Sarafan Lord constructed the Hylden Gate, which allowed him and other
Hylden to escape the other dimension. He then tells Kain that without the
Gate's existence, the Hylden will not be able to survive in this world. By
destroying the Gate, all Hylden in Nosgoth, including the Sarafan Lord, will
die. Janos decides to teleport him and Kain back to Sanctuary to inform
Vorador of everything and to formulate a plan.
Inside Sanctuary, Vorador and Umah are arguing. Umah tells Vorador that she
should have gone with Kain but Vorador tells her she was too injured to do
so. They have not had contact with Kain for quite a while now.
Suddenly, Kain and Janos appear in Sanctuary to the surprise of all the
vampires in the room especially Vorador. Kain explains he has destroyed the
Device but tells Vorador there is a greater danger. Janos explains about the
Hylden and that they have constructed a Hylden City far off in the sea, where
the Hylden Gate lies. Janos planned to teleport all the vampires in an
assault against the Hylden but there is a shield protecting the city.
Umah tells the group that the last few months, many warships and freighters
have been loading and unloading in great secrecy at the Wharves. All of the
ships go the same location but Umah does not know where that is.
Janos concludes that it must be the Hylden City. He urges Kain to take a ship
to the Hylden City, deactivate the shield, and allow reinforcements to arrive
and close the Hylden Gate.
Umah tells Vorador that she's going with Kain to the Hylden City. She tells
them that she knows the Wharves. Despite Kain's protests, Janos and Vorador
agree with her and allow her to go with him. Kain muses whether she'll be any
help at all.
####################################
CHAPTER TEN - THE WHARVES - BETRAYAL
####################################
Umah and Kain are standing at the entrance of the Wharves. She tells Kain
that they need to find a war galley in the Southern Docks. Also, this is the
most heavily guarded of all Sarafan outposts. Kain tells Umah that the
Sarafan are nothing compared what he has defeated. Umah warns him not to be
arrogant and about the dangerous Glyph Knights within.
Umah then asks Kain what he's going to do once the Sarafan Lord is dead and
he has the Soul Reaver. He replies that Nosgoth will become his. Umah asks
what will happen to the vampires, Kain tells her that they will do whatever
they want.
Suddenly, Umah steals the Nexus Stone from Kain. She explains that she knows
that Kain wants nothing less than absolute power. She believes that Kain will
kill the vampires who are able to oppose him and that his rule will be no
different from that of the Sarafan Lord's.
Umah tells Kain that she will be the one who destroys the Sarafan Lord and
bring Nosgoth into the rule of the vampires. Kain tells her that she will not
survive the battle and threatens to kill her unless she gives back the Nexus
Stone. Umah teleports away before Kain can stop her.
Kain proceeds into the Wharves in search of Umah. He sees the gate to the
docks but the gatekeeper refuses to let Kain past without the password
because the fog is out and the lighthouse is disabled. Kain tries to find
another way past but he is unable to. He then sees in the market place, two
sailors talking. One of the sailors is in a similar situation to Kain's but
the other tells him the password 'North Star' to the gatekeeper. Kain goes
back to the gate and gives the password. The gatekeeper lets him through.
Kain approaches a human who tells him that the Cabal sent him to help Kain.
He tells Kain that he needs to reposition the lighthouse so that the Sarafan
supply ship will dock at the Wharves. The drawbridge will then lower. Kain
does as instructed and crosses the drawbridge.
Further along, Kain sees Umah badly wounded fighting a Sarafan Knight. Kain
kills him for her and she collapses to the floor. She begs for his blood but
he doesn't give it to her and takes the Nexus Stone. He asks Umah whether he
sees Kain ruling Nosgoth and whether she believes Nosgoth belongs to him.
Desperate and dying, she agrees. Kain then tells her that she will now die
knowing the truth and slits her throat with his claw. Kain tells the dying
Umah that she could have been his Queen.
In the southern dock, Kain sees the war galley. Nearby there is a demon
inside a cage. Vorador contacts him via the Whisper and tells him that he
must release the demon inside the cage and smuggle himself on the ship via
the cage.
Kain charms the human at the cage controls and releases the demon. The demon
kills all the Sarafan nearby and runs away while smashing through a wall.
Kain gets into the cage and charms the human to place him on the war galley.
The ship sets sail towards the Hylden City.
#################################################
CHAPTER ELEVEN - THE HYLDEN CITY - THE LIVING END
#################################################
The war galley arrives at the Hylden City and Kain heads towards the
entrance. Suddenly the Sarafan Lord appears. Kain tells him that the Device
is destroyed and his plans are ruined. The Sarafan Lord tells Kain that he
and the rest of the Hylden will still be able to conquer Nosgoth and bring
about a new era to Nosgoth. The Sarafan Lord then strikes Kain with the Soul
Reaver but Kain is protected by the Nexus Stone. Kain laughs at the irony of
the situation.
The Sarafan Lord claims that it does not matter that Kain has the Nexus
Stone. He claims that his Hylden army is coming through the Gate and
preparing to conquer Nosgoth. The Sarafan Lord then disappears.
The door into the Hylden City is locked but Kain uses his telekinesis to free
a demon from its cage. It kills its Hylden captors and breaks through the
entrance door to escape. Kain uses the hole in the door to enter the Hylden
City.
As Kain enters the lift, the Demon returns and runs towards Kain.
Fortunately, the lift descends before the Demon arrives. At the lower level,
Kain sees two humans talking. These two are apparently slaves to the Hylden.
They are planning to escape the Hylden City.
They catch sight of Kain and realise that he is the vampire fighting the
Hylden. They show him the location of the shield generator and the Hylden
Gate. Kain decides to destroy the shield generator first. They also tell him
that they and their ancestors have been imprisoned here for years. Kain
wonders how long the Hylden had hidden themselves here. Suddenly, the demon
breaks out of the lift and kills the humans. Kain just manages to escape.
Inside the room containing the Shield Generator, Kain deactivates the
switches and hence the shield. Vorador tells Kain via the Whisper that they
will be teleporting to him shortly. Unaware of Kain's actions against Umah in
the Wharves, Vorador then thanks Kain for saving Umah's life in the Sarafan
Keep.
Janos and Vorador arrive next to Kain. Janos begins to detect the location of
the Hylden Gate. Vorador tells Kain that he cannot sense Umah. Kain reveals
that she is dead. Vorador assumes that Kain was too late to help her but Kain
reveals that she stole the Nexus Stone from him. Vorador then assumes that
Kain refused to help her but Kain tells him that he killed Umah for her
treachery. Vorador is horrified and no longer trusts Kain. Kain then
threatens to kill Vorador if he challenges him.
Janos breaks up the fight and tells them they have no time for this. He
prepares to teleport the three of them to the Hylden Gate. Kain and Vorador
agree to put aside this conflict for tomorrow. Suddenly, Vorador and Janos
are hit by Soul Reaver projectiles, from the Sarafan Lord, who promptly
disappears.
Janos gets up and tells Kain to go without them while he treats Vorador.
Janos tells Kain he will be teleported near the Hylden Gate where he will
have to drop the Nexus Stone into the Hylden Gate to destroy it.
Kain makes his way onto an elevator to the Hylden Gate where the Sarafan Lord
is standing. The Sarafan Lord is surprised to see Kain and congratulates him
on being such a worthy adversary.
Kain gives him the choice whether to return to the demon dimension or be
killed by him. The Sarafan Lord asks Kain to consider why so many of his
comrades have decided to turn against him. Kain tells him that cowards and
traitors only deserve death. The Sarafan Lord muses that perhaps he has the
right and justified cause and not Kain. Kain lets the Sarafan Lord know that
his latest spy, Umah, is dead. The Sarafan Lord denies having a spy called
Umah, which Kain considers a lie.
The Sarafan Lord shoots Reaver projectiles at Kain but he dodges them. As he
charges up more projectiles, Kain quickly fires a telekinetic bolt at him
sending him teetering at the edge of the platform. Kain leaps at the Sarafan
Lord, knocking him into the Hylden Gate.
Kain looks over the edge of the platform. Suddenly, the Sarafan Lord
teleports behind Kain. He tells Kain he cannot win. While Kain wears the
Nexus Stone, he cannot be harmed by the Soul Reaver but while he wears it
cannot use it to destroy the Hylden Gate. He taunts Kain about the stalemate
but Kain decides to risk being harmed by the Soul Reaver to close the Gate.
The Sarafan Lord is horrified and angered.
Kain and the Sarafan Lord battle. Kain manages to avoid being hit by the Soul
Reaver and Immolates the Sarafan Lord, which causes him to drop the Soul
Reaver. Before he can pick it up again, Janos appears.
The Sarafan Lord tells Janos that he enjoyed taking his freedom and their
revenge from the same source. Janos orders the Sarafan Lord to return to the
Demon Dimension. The Sarafan Lord asks what right the Ancient vampires had in
banishing his race to the Demon Dimension to which Janos asks what right the
Hylden had it inflicting the blood curse upon the Ancient vampires. The
Sarafan Lord claims it was justice.
The two of them fight. Janos tells Kain to pick up the Soul Reaver and Kain
does so. The Sarafan Lord grabs Janos by the neck and throws him into the
Hylden Gate. As the Gate collapses the platforms below Kain and the Sarafan
Lord break away. Both of them jump back onto the lift.
The Sarafan Lord is no match for Kain armed with the Soul Reaver and is badly
injured. He tells Kain that one day the Hylden will return. Kain tells him
that he will be waiting for then. The Sarafan Lord laughs and tells him that
he won't live until then. Kain tells him that he's lived long enough to kill
him. Kain thrusts the Soul Reaver into the Sarafan Lord who screams as his
soul is sucked into the blade.
As the Hylden Gate collapses, all of the Hylden in Nosgoth die. Kain walks
away from the Hylden Gate lamenting about Umah. He remembers that Umah
believed that Kain's rule would be the same as the rule of the Sarafan
Lord's. He wishes that Umah would be alive to see the difference. Kain
resolves to destroy the now leaderless Sarafan, rebuild cities, restore order
and rule Nosgoth himself.
###############
ii) Conclusions
###############
1. Faustus, Marcus, Sebastian, Magnus, Umah and the Sarafan Lord are all
dead.
2. Vorador has returned under unexplained circumstances.
3. Janos Audron was imprisoned in the Device by the Hylden. He has been freed
from the Device by Kain.
4. However, the Sarafan Lord cast Janos into the Demon Dimension.
5. The Hylden Gate has been destroyed and the Hylden (and Janos) are trapped
in the Demon Dimension.
#################
iii) Observations
#################
1. The map in the FMV before the start screen shows a part of Nosgoth not
seen in previous maps. There are several new cities called Freeport, Provance
and Meridian. (Nosgothic Realm has taken several screenshots of the FMV and
managed to piece together the map. Check it out on their site.)
2. Also on the map is the Eternal Prison, south of Meridian. However, the
Beast says that the Eternal Prison is to the far north of Nosgoth (or
Meridian, he isn't clear about this). This is even contradicted by Kain a few
lines later when he says, 'I didn't realise (the Eternal Prison) was so close
to Meridian'. This is probably a screw-up by the BO2 team.
3. Nobody seems to realize that the Sarafan Lord is not human even he has
been around for two hundred years, has four claws on each hand and a glowing
head? Perhaps, his mask really is a good disguise.
4. Kain has the scar on his stomach just like in the SRs. (Actually, on
closer observation I've noticed that he only has the scar in the FMVs and not
actually in the game.) 'ovejaelectrica' suggests that perhaps he got this
from the Sarafan Lord's final strike in the Intro FMV. Update: 'Tom T.
Thomson' writes in to say this can't be because BO2 is on an alternate
timeline and hence he shouldn't have it in the SR series.
5. I congratulate the BO2 team on their creativity of names such as the
Builder, the Beast, the Device, the Mass and the Seer.
6. The intro FMV is a dream sequence of Kain's depicting his defeat by the
Sarafan Lord. However, since most of the details in the FMV are contradicted
by statements made later in the game, I have decided not to include it in the
plot summary. Such contradictions are Kain's ex-lieutenants fighting along
aside him when two defected, one went into hiding and one was sent to the
Eternal Prison. Also, Kain has an army to confront the Sarafan when it was
apparently destroyed in an ambush arranged by Sebastian.
7. All the vampire bosses have their Dark Gift Symbol above their blood
meter. The Sarafan Lord has a green Hylden head above his.
8. Kain doesn't really gain all the Dark Gifts of the vampires he kills. He
can't jump high like Faustus, he can't turn invisible and read minds like
Marcus, he can't run fast like Sebastian and he isn't immune to water like
Magnus.
9. Additionally, Kain's mist form is not like his mist form in BO. Kain can
be harmed in mist form by physical attacks in this game and he gains
invisibility except when directly in front of an enemy. Plus, it only works
in misty areas.
10. The Nexus Stone apparently only protects the wearer from Soul Reaver
strikes not projectiles. I wish I'd known that before I let the Sarafan Lord
shoot me.
11. There's a subtle reference to Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver. Kain says
'Cowards and traitors deserve no second thoughts only their complete
annihilation!' It's consistent in that we learn that Kain has traitors and
weaklings thrown into the Abyss in SR.
12. I find it an odd change of character that Kain regrets killing Umah. This
vampire has massacred demons, soldiers and innocents in his entire quest yet
regrets this action.
13. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't Janos' chest look like
it's been stitched up? (Yes, I do know that this shows that his heart was put
back in, STOP E-MAILING ME ABOUT THIS!)
14. Notice that the elder vampires (Janos and Vorador) have three claws and
all the other vampires have four fingers and a thumb. Seeing that Raziel has
claws, it apparently takes a maximum of 1000 years for a vampire's fingers to
evolve into claws. Just to elaborate on this, Kain has been a vampire for 400
years and still does not yet have claws. So, it also takes a minimum of 400
years.
15. If you type in the Iron Armour and Soul Reaver code, you hear Simon
Templeman yelling 'Go Cheese!' Apparently, the lead artist, Steve Ross, got
the nickname 'Cheese'. Whenever 'Cheese' was reluctant to join a
conversation, the BO2 team kept saying 'Go Cheese' to bring him into it.
Simon Templeman said it during an outtake, which was then incorporated into
the game with the code.
16. Kain never says 'Vae Victus' in this game. This was because there was
some ambiguity over whether Vae Victus was pronounced correctly in BO and
they weren't sure whether it was pronounced as above, 'Way Wictoose' or 'Vee
Victus'.
17. I wonder what the point of those explosive switch barrels are. You can
only activate them by pulling the switch but the explosion covers several
yards, certainly killing the person who activated it.
18. Umah tells Kain that the coffers were left by their ancestors. I can
understand why they're in the canyons and Meridian but not why they are in
the Sarafan Keep, the Eternal Prison, the Device and the Hylden City.
19. When the Seer teleports Kain to the Device, go to the side of the
entrance and you will see some Glyph Wrights walking around. You cannot kill
them because they are behind a Ward Gate.
20. I really don't know how the Prison Guardians expected the prisoners to
find inner peace by crushing them with stones and spikes. Perhaps it was just
an excuse for when the inspectors from health and safety came round.
21. The player can't cast the Sarafan Lord into the Demon Dimension because
he keeps teleporting back onto the elevator.
22. Neither can the player decide to jump into the Demon Dimension and fight
the Hylden there without being killed by the fall. If you want to fight in
the Demon Dimension, play Defiance.
23. Originally, the BO2 team told gamers that this game was not the result of
an altered timeline. However when blincoln went to Crystal Dynamics, Amy
Hennig told him that it was. That's apparently official now and BO2 is in
fact result of an altered timeline. Update: Janos' resurrection in Defiance
has cast this in stone now.
24. As pointed out by 'SpiderVenom' on the GameFAQs BO2 boards, Kain really
shouldn't have lost to the Sarafan Lord. During the month or so that is BO,
Kain gains 13 spells, lupine, bat and mist forms, a Heart of Darkness, Flay,
Implode, Slow Time, Font of Putrescence, Energy Bank, Pentalich of Tarot,
increased his blood and magic capacity to high levels, had quickly recovering
magic, enhanced strength, resistance to rain and snow, 5 different armours
and the Iron Sword, Mace, Axes or the Flame Sword to use against the Sarafan
Lord instead of just the Soul Reaver. By the time he battles the Sarafan
Lord, Kain should be on his way to being a god.
25. As 'Eric Chinault' points out, there are murals of a female Hylden in the
Hylden City. This is possibly the Seer.
26. If you look at the moon in this game, you will see that it looks exactly
like Earth's moon! The BO2 team were probably too lazy to create a Nosgothic
moon. Update: The features of the moon in Defiance look different from this
one.
27. The bar maid of the Red Raven Pub claims that a voice in the dark told
her to give a message to Kain. Perhaps this was a vampire using a mist form?
28. I wonder how Kain can prevent himself from being devoured by the Soul
Reaver when killed by it and why his gauntlets are strong enough to block it.
29. By the time Kain reaches the Mass, I assume that the Builder's blood has
long gone from his system. However, seeing as he has killed and sucked the
blood of Hylden left, right and centre by then, this isn't really a problem.
30. The BO2 team have given some of the characters in the game some annoying
mannerisms and foibles. For example, Janos is constantly moving his wings,
Umah is constantly moving her hands and Kain *really* enjoys pointing with
his claw.
31. This game has the most limited exploration of Nosgoth. Most of the game
is confined in Meridian or places adjacent.
32. Some Defiance foreshadowing; when Kain first meets the Beast he says,
'Here, in this alien vault, I discovered a being whose existence was
intertwined with mine far more than I could ever imagine.' A subtle reference
to the Heart of Darkness?
33. A rather amusing observation found by 'john.dobson'. Magnus claims that
1400 ounces is 20 stone. In actual fact, 4480 ounces is 20 stones and 1400
ounces is 6.25 stones. Apparently, Kain didn't recruit Magnus as his
lieutenant for his maths skills.
34. I really wonder about the point of the searchlights in the Wharves.
Presumably, they're there so that the Sarafan can spot any intruders. But I
can make Kain dance in the searchlight and no one pays attention.
35. Why exactly is the 'Rage Meter' filled by *blocking* attacks? I don't
know about you but if blocked a sword coming at by neck, rage would not be
what I would be feeling.
36. Unlike BO and Defiance, in this game Kain cannot die from natural blood
loss. While Kain's blood meter does empty over time, there is a limit to
where it stops (This is most obvious early in the game). In BO and Defiance,
the meter keeps running down until it is empty.
37. Is it just me or did everyone else find it extremely patronising how Umah
congratulated Kain for jumping on a ledge or pulling a lever?
38. In the Slums, the first dozen humans Kain encounters, can be killed but
not fed from for some reason. Apparently, Kain doesn't remember how to suck
blood until Umah brings him to the prisoner in the dungeon.
39. According to Umah, when Kain defeats a vampire he can 'absorb their
veins' to gain their Dark Gift. However, what Kain actually does after
defeating them hardly looks like absorbing veins (plus how exactly would one
go about that?) and strangely rather more like absorbing their soul.
40. For the more sadistic of you out there, you can actually kill the mice
and cats you find in various levels. However, you cannot feed from them.
41. Throughout the entire game, you can listen in on conservations between
humans. Mostly they are just nonsense, mainly people complaining about
Sarafan taxes, but there are a few interesting ones like some people talking
about the uses of Glyph magic and one where a man tells of how his father
told him of a time when noble families and a King ruling the land. I wonder
if he's referring to Ottmar or William. (All these conversations have been
transcribed in the Dark Chronicle website's BO2 script.)
42. The bartender in the Smuggler's Den calls for help from the Sarafan when
he only just realises Kain is a vampire (even though he's just seen Kain kill
and drink the blood of his customers). They run over to the door but stop
outside and never enter. You can stand Kain right in front of the door for 10
hours but still they don't enter.
43. I've lost count of the number of peoples' houses Kain breaks into in this
game but still no one in the house even makes a comment about it, even when
Kain jumps in through the ceiling or uses Jump to leap in through a window
from across the street.
44. There are various leaking pipes throughout the Meridian chapters but they
do no damage to Kain even if he stands in the puddle they've created.
45. If Kain starts killing people in front of civilians, they run in horror.
However, if a Sarafan Knight/thief/thug/etc. attacks Kain, they just stand
there as if nothing happened.
46. In the Lower City and the first part of the Upper City, the Sarafan will
ignore Kain as long as he does not attack them or confront them in a combat
stance for too long. This is apparently because, as Vorador said in the
previous chapter, '(Kain has) the power to disguise (his) presence'. Is this
the Beguile ability from BO?
47. Later in the Upper City, Vorador informs Kain that the curfew has set in.
Why do the Sarafan try to kill Kain for breaking the curfew but not the
*dozens* of humans standing around them? Do they have some sort of permission
exempting them from the curfew? If so, the Sarafan don't even try to make an
attempt to check Kain for permission before rushing at him with swords.
48. When performing a stealth decapitation, notice that it's always the same
generic head that falls off the body, whether or not the enemy is human,
Hylden or wearing a helmet.
49. Umah makes such great care about not revealing Vorador's name in public
only to have it ruined when Kain continuously says out loud to various
people, 'I am sent by Vorador'.
50. Why exactly didn't Marcus kill the Bishop? He must've had several
minutes' opportunity to do so before Kain arrived and also after Kain refused
to surrender to him, since Kain was halfway across the room.
51. You may not notice this as you are chasing after Marcus but after Kain
finds the Bishop under the control of Marcus, we return to a street that we
were in earlier in the chapter.
52. Why exactly do the bells ringing harm Marcus and not Kain? Does Marcus
have extremely sensitive hearing? It's never said or implied anywhere else.
53. How exactly did the Bishop know where to find Kain after he defeated
Marcus? Kain had chased Marcus through streets and across multiple rooftops.
54. The security around the Sarafan Keep doesn't seem to be very tight;
ignoring the fact that Kain managed to get in, Kain finds several thieves
inside who also somehow managed to get in.
55. Kain's strength is shown by how he can turn a valve with one hand but a
Charmed human needs both to do so.
56. Why exactly are there Glyph barriers inside the Sarafan Keep? Do they
really expect a vampire to be able to gain access? Even if they know their
security is bad, why not set up the Glyph barriers at the Keep's entrances?
57. Have you noticed how Umah and Vorador seem to pronounce Sarafan,
'Serafan' whereas everyone else pronounces it 'Sarafan'?
58. Does anyone know why the building that Kain enters at the start of the
Industrial Quarter chapter is called 'The Zen Buggy'?
59. In the same building you can find several bathtubs. These are the only
bathtubs in Nosgoth apparently, as I can't find any others in the rest of the
games (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong). Also, you cannot make Kain jump
into them and take a bath as he just slides off an invisible barrier around
it.
60. Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong but is this, the only LOK game with
ladders? I think SR, SR2 and Defiance use climbable walls and BO has no need
for them.
61. Despite its huge cast of additional voices (as shown in the credits), we
still see the same voice used for the same person repeatedly. One amusing
example is how we see the same voice used for several Sarafan that Kain
kills, an Industrial Quarter guard who blows himself up, the Meridian
Gatekeeper and the Eternal Prison guardian.
62. In the Industrial Quarter, there are posters for 'Bierre de luxe' and
'Faux de avon'. These appear to be in French but just mean nonsense when
translated. Perhaps, they're in a different language or my admittedly limited
knowledge of the French language prevents me from understanding what these
phrases mean. Can any readers help me out here? 'Kim Boudreau' e-mails in to
say that 'bierre de luxe' means 'beer of good quality' and 'faux de avon'
does indeed makes no sense. 'EternalAutarkis' claims that 'bierre de luxe'
means 'beer of luxury' and 'faux de avon' means 'forgery of avon'.
63. If the Sarafan really do intensely hate vampires, then why exactly does a
Sarafan in the Industrial Quarter call Sebastian 'sire' with no problem? I
would at least expect some bitterness and contempt in his voice but he treats
Sebastian as if he was a human superior.
64. What exactly happened to the portal Umah claimed was being created by the
Nexus Stone in the Industrial Quarter?
65. Why exactly did the removal of the Nexus Stone cause the entire collapse
of the power chamber?
66. The female crossbow thieves seem to have some relationship to the
Sarafan. In the Canyons chapter, they attack Kain on order of a Sarafan
Knight and even help the Sarafan Lord destroy the Seer's house.
67. In the Canyons chapter, you can see a kind of gang battle between several
groups of thieves over the spoils of a cart that they've just attacked.
68. I wonder if these tales about 'the witch' were just stories told by those
who had seen the Seer or stories she herself passed around to ward people
away from her home.
69. The Seer's power is possibly evidenced by the corpses of several dead
demons outside her home.
70. Outside the Seer's door is a rocking chair that never stops. After the
Seer teleports Kain to the Device, the camera is focused on it for a quite a
significant time. I wonder what the significance of this is.
71. How exactly did Janos know about Kain's defeat at the hands of the
Sarafan Lord when he was supposedly locked up in the Device? And how would he
know about the Hylden Lord reforming the Sarafan and becoming the Sarafan
Lord? Perhaps, some passing Hylden were talking about it?
72. I don't exactly see how the Mass feeds on Janos. I don't see any tubes
connected to him and although I see some devices connected to him, I really
don't know what they're meant to do. Perhaps, Janos was just kept there and
they took regular blood withdrawals from him? This seems a rather inefficient
system.
73. Why exactly do the 'ghosts' that Kain battles in the Eternal Prison have
red blood?
74. I think the Hylden deserve some credit for somehow managing to capture a
being that kills with a thought. Although, it has been theorised that the
Hylden created it. (Never once is it said how the Hylden obtained the Mass in
the first place.)
75. The Prison Guardians claim that the Eternal Prison is their 'great
experiment'. I'm rather worried about what the aim and intents of this
'experiment' was.
76. Why does Kain make no comment on the statue of Moebius? It's the kind of
thing he would comment on but not here.
77. Is it just me or did the Moebius statue appear to completely miss Magnus?
Perhaps it was just the shock of a giant statue coming down on him that
caused his memory to return and he wasn't actually harmed?
78. When the Sarafan Lord tries to strike down Kain with the Soul Reaver in
front of the Hylden City, he is shocked to discover the Nexus Stone on Kain.
How exactly did the Sarafan Lord miss the fist-sized Nexus Stone on Kain's
chest? Must be all those green flames in front of his eyes.
79. Several times throughout the game, Kain enters 'heavily guarded' places
and leaves a trail of bodies throughout the place yet no one as much as
raises an alarm or arranges a search and destroy team to find the intruder.
80. That red/black liquid that the Mass is 'planted' in is apparently deadly
to Kain when he jumps into it. I wonder what it is.
81. When the Beast turns back to Janos, where did his clothes come from? The
Beast is not wearing any clothing yet Janos has some when Kain returns.
82. Janos claims that the Ancients long ago were god-like but we learn in
Defiance that they were once mortals.
83. Janos also claims that the Hylden needed humans 'to drain of energy'. Is
this how the Hylden feed? (Note there are some humans in stasis tubes within
the Device and the Hylden City.) In that case why are they trying to wipe out
all races in Nosgoth except themselves?
84. When Umah says that she's going with Kain to the Wharves, Vorador
initially refuses saying that he'll need her at Sanctuary. What exactly did
he need her for?
85. Subtitling the Wharves chapter as 'Betrayal' isn't really a subtle way of
hiding that Umah is about to steal the Nexus Stone from Kain.
86. Kain needs to recover for a few seconds after using Jump and Telekinesis
before using it again.
87. Unlike BO, you cannot make humans you are controlling commit suicide by
jumping off cliffs, being attacked by enemies etc.
88. Just before Vorador and Janos teleport to the Hylden City, Vorador says
that he '(looks) forward to thanking (Kain) in person for saving Umah's life'
(back in the Sarafan Keep). Why didn't he do that before?
89. Just after Vorador and Janos arrive at the Hylden City, they are attacked
by the Sarafan Lord, who taunts Kain before teleporting away. Why didn't he
attack Kain? (We see in the boss battle later that Reaver projectiles can
harm Kain.) And since he didn't, why is he so surprised to see Kain arrive at
the Hylden Gate?
90. Why exactly do Kain's eyes glow white in the opening dream FMV and ending
FMV? His eyes don't glow in the intro FMV.
91. The Hylden apparently know that Kain is vulnerable to water since one
locks him in a corridor that is slowly filling with water. This may suggest
the Ancients were vulnerable to water but it's likely that the Hylden
discovered this somewhere in the 400 years they've been back. (Actually upon
thinking about this, I've theorised that it possible that if the Hylden
didn't know about the Vampires' vulnerability to water, this could've just
been an attempt to drown Kain.)
92. For some reason, Kain has blue eyes in this game whereas in the rest of
the series (and the box art (!)), he has yellow eyes.
93. In the dream FMV, the Pillars literally collapse, toppling over behind
Kain whereas in Defiance, we see them explode and fall apart. I trust
Defiance to be the more accurate representation of the Pillars' collapse as
BO2 shows them fully collapsing whereas in all other games we see a remnant
of the base left.
94. What exactly happened to Vorador? We see him shot by the Sarafan Lord and
never get back up. Janos says he'll tend to Vorador whilst Kain goes to the
Hylden Gate. Later, Janos manages to arrive at the gate. What has happened to
Vorador by this time? Has he died or did Janos save him?
95. As pointed out by 'Glucolisis' on the Eidos Forums, in the Industrial
Quarter, Sebastian is seen talking to a Glyph Guard but the Glyph Guard's
armour is not lit up.
96. This is the only LOK game where enemies do not go into a waver state
prior to death; Kain sucks the blood from the corpses of his enemies unlike
in BO and Defiance.
97. Unlike in BO and Defiance, Kain has to kill chained prisoners before
draining them of their blood.
98. A print advertisement of BO2 featured Kain holding a Sarafan guard in the
air by the neck whilst holding the Soul Reaver in his other hand. Below that
image is written, 'To behead or not to behead. That is the question. - Kain.'
However Kain never says this in the game at all.
99. I wonder where that place was in the Dream FMV where Kain and Vorador
were plotting their conquest of Nosgoth. Kain's mountain retreat?
100. Does anybody know what the use of that ridiculous looking 'bicycle seat'
on Kain's shoulder is?
101. Kain's eyes glow red as he sucks blood, absorbs lore from coffers or
absorbs energy for his weapon.
102. Umah claims Kain can dodge attacks with 'inhuman speed' yet (unless the
enemy is performing a charged attack) all human enemies can follow and
constantly face Kain as he dodges.
103. Kain can't carry weapons through chapters nor can he keep them after the
player saves and reloads the game.
104. Unlike Kain, enemies' weapons never break nor do they sustain damage as
they block attacks or their attacks are blocked.
105. Did you know that BO2 was originally going to be a game called Chakan?
See this page for more info! < http://www.thelostworlds.net/BO2-Origins.HTML>
106. When Kain is killed, he turns to dust which is quickly blown away by the
wind.
107. Inside the yard of Ducket's Traders, someone's written on the wall - 'No
Freedom under Seraphan rule!' I wonder whether the incorrect spelling was
intentional or a mistake by the BO2 team.
108. Apparently, the Sarafan held public executions seeing as there's a
guillotine in the middle of a street in the Lower City.
109. For some reason, as you stand outside the building named 'City
Reformatory', you can hear screams inside.
110. When Kain encounters Sebastian in the Industrial Quarter, he comments,
'In the light, I knew him' despite having seen his face clearly in the Lower
City. Perhaps, he was speaking metaphorically as his memory returned.
111. In the Lower City, near to the Blue Lady shop, there is a building with
a sign 'Hill House est 1246'. This gives us the only year throughout the
entire LOK series.
112. Marcus claims he has the power to charm all living beings. He clearly
believes this as he is shocked when Kain resists him. So, why did he never
try to control the mind of the Sarafan Lord?
113. When we first see Marcus, there are two dead priests next to him. Did
they anger him in some way?
114. It really strains credibility in this game how some of the enemies in
this game can be impaled through the chest or stabbed in the head and still
manage to leap up and continue battle.
115. Kain activates a clock tower in the Upper City which says 10:10.
However, it rings only six times!
116. The Bishop has a significantly grand house for a person of his
profession. How much did he get paid?
117. Bodies somehow manage to remain intact in this game after at being point
blank range next to an explosion.
118. There are some incredible similarities between LOK and Star Wars. Check
out this topic from the Eidos Forums!
<forums.eidosgames.com/showthread.php?t=6385>
119. I wonder what would've happened if that kick that Kain gave to the
Builder had killed him. (*Three hours later* Kain: Where in the Hell is the
Builder?)
120. Along the roads of the Canyons chapter, you may see some demon nests
giving off an eerie pulsating sound. In some of them, you can see some humans
wrapped up in some kind of webbing, apparently for transformation into
demons. It's kinda creepy.
121. The Eternal Prison Guardian tells Kain to leave yet he locks the
entrance door. Later, he teleports Kain to a location where Kain would have
to go back into the Prison to actually leave the area.
122. Is there any significance to those three prisons which are outside of
the main building of the Eternal Prison? Solitary confinement for the worst
prisoners?
123. Within the Eternal Prison, there are models of a Solar System. Is this
the Solar System of the LOK universe?
124. After killing the Builder, Kain pulls a switch which causes the Eternal
Prison to undergo a collapse. Why would there be a switch to do this? And
isn't it hidden?
125. After pulling the said switch in the above observation, Kain is somehow
transported to elsewhere in the prison without any explanation. The screen
merely goes black as the collapse occurs and then shows Kain in a new room.
126. Hylden cannot breathe underwater since you can hurl them into water and
they die. They do not appear to be burnt by water though.
127. What are Hylden arms (i.e. limbs not weapons) made out of if they are
strong enough to block sword blades?
128. How did the Builder know that Hylden blood was fatal to the Mass without
killing it in the first place?
129. In the Wharves, a demon manages to smash some iron bars yet Kain is
still able to block its attacks with a weapon or his gauntlets.
130. Who are those guys in the boats in the Wharves who keep firing at Kain?
131. In the Hylden City, there's a dead Spider upon an operating table with a
Hylden overlooking. I'm a little concerned as to what that Hylden was doing.
132. The Hylden City (and indeed the Hylden Gate) is surprising complex for
something constructed in secrecy. How did the Hylden manage to obtain the
materials to build it without suspicion?
133. The Hylden are repeatedly referred to as 'aliens' despite the fact that
Janos states that they were once inhabitants of Nosgoth.
134. Rene Auberjonois is incorrectly credited as Rene Aubergenois in the
ending credits.
135. Kain claims in this game that vampirism is a curse when it was
established by the ending of BO that Kain agreed with Vorador that vampirism
was a gift.
#######################################################
7. LEGACY OF KAIN: DEFIANCE [2003]
#######################################################
Platforms: Sony Playstation 2, Microsoft Xbox, PC
First Released: 12th November 2003 (US), 6th February 2004 (UK)
Classification: M (US), 16+ (UK)
Published by: Eidos
Developed by: Crystal Dynamics
Directed by: Amy Hennig
Produced by: Rosaura Sandoval
Music by: Kurt Harland and Mike Peaslee
Written by: Amy Hennig and Carol Wolf
-------------------------------------------------------
'Unleash your Inner Evil
For the first time ever play as vampire Kain and his
archrival, the soul-devouring Raziel. Use their evil
destructive powers to attack and destroy your enemies
in this dark odyssey, from which only one of these
anti heroes can survive.'
-------------------------------------------------------
Following the cliffhanger ending of Soul Reaver 2, Crystal Dynamics decided
to unite the Blood Omen and Soul Reaver series together into one series in a
game that would end the Soul Reaver arc of the story, answer many of the
series' unanswered questions and have a conclusive ending much to the
pleasure of many fans.
For the fifth game in the Legacy of Kain series, Crystal Dynamics, for the
first time ever, allowed fans to play as both Kain and Raziel in the same
game, in alternating chapters beginning with Kain. Additionally, fans also
now got to finally play as the all-powerful SR series Kain instead of his
weaker BO series self.
The game starts shortly after the ending of Soul Reaver 2, with Kain in the
Sarafan Stronghold searching for Moebius, who knows where Raziel is. Raziel
is 500 years in the future, trapped in the Spectral Underworld by the Elder
God. During the course of this game, Kain and Raziel discover more of
Nosgoth's, their own and each other's destinies.
Also, Crystal Dynamics have revamped (no pun intended) the combat and camera
systems (in a fashion similar to Capcom's 'Devil May Cry') and have given
improved powerful telekinetic abilities to both characters allowing players
to toy with and hurl enemies off cliffs, onto wall spikes or into other
enemies.
The Blood Reaver from the end of SR2 returns in the possession of Kain and as
always Raziel is armed with the Wraith Blade, which now truly looks like the
spirit of the Soul Reaver and no longer feeds upon him. These are Kain and
Raziel's sole weapons; unlike previous games you cannot use claws, swords,
spears or any other weapons.
Unlike the previous SR games, Defiance has no GlyphX created FMV movies of
its own but it has extracts from the SR series' FMVs at the start to help
recap the story for newcomers.
This game is still quite linear (which was one of the complaints of SR2 and
BO2) despite the inclusion of Health/Telekinesis upgrades and Arcane Tomes.
Also, despite the ability to return to previous areas, there are no secret
areas to be found.
The Bonus Materials have returned and players can unlock some of them through
collecting Arcane Tomes throughout the game. This is more or less futile
however as they are all unlocked at the end of the game anyway.
Also, the Dark Chronicle has returned and rather than having scripts, as was
the case in SR2, has replayable cut scenes of all the major scenes in the
game like the Dark Diary in BO but unlike the Dark Diary with optional
subtitles.
The game plays out with Kain and Raziel in alternating chapters. (These
chapters are not like the levels in BO2 where you were unable to return to
previous areas.) I will be using these chapters to divide the Plot Summary
just as in the SR2 and BO2 Plot Summaries.
###########
i) The Plot
###########
Kain:
'Given the choice -
whether to rule a corrupt and failing empire
or to challenge the Fates for another throw,
a better throw against one's destiny -
what was a king to do?
But does one ever truly have a choice?
One can only match, move by move,
the machinations of Fate,
and thus defy the tyrannous stars.'
######################
THE SARAFAN STRONGHOLD
######################
At early dawn, a flock of bats descend upon a tower of the Sarafan Stronghold
and form into the shape of a vampire armed with the Reaver. It is Kain. After
surveying his surroundings, he jumps off the tower and begins his
infiltration of the Stronghold. While descending down a staircase, Kain
comments on how the Sarafan believed the Stronghold impossible for any 'man'
to infiltrate.
Behind a barred gate at the end of the staircase, a Sarafan stands guard.
Kain stealthily approaches him from behind. He uses his Mist form to walk
right through the gate and then snaps the neck of the unsuspecting Sarafan.
After drinking his blood, Kain continues his way through the Stronghold and
hides behind a wall as two Sarafan walk past on a nearby bridge. Kain is
looking for the Time Guardian, Moebius within the walls of the Stronghold.
The two Sarafan discuss how they had found a large group of vampires and
killed every single one of them. They know that Moebius will be pleased with
this. Behind the wall, Kain listens in, disgusted. When the two Sarafan are
gone, Kain continues on into the Stronghold. He hopes that Moebius is going
to be in a talkative mood.
Inside the prison area of the Stronghold, Kain finds a female human prisoner
chained up against the wall. She pleads to Kain for help. Kain looks and her
comments on how he needs to feed on blood from time to time to sustain
himself. He feels he cannot possibly pass up this rare occasion when the
Sarafan have 'prepared' this feast for him. Kain sucks the woman's blood on
continues on.
Kain smashes down fractured wall with the Reaver in order to get out of the
prison area. Through the wall, a Sarafan hears the noise made but before he
realises Kain's presence, Kain pulls him towards a wall spike, effectively
killing him.
Kain walks past the impaled Sarafan nonchalantly and sees a small sewage
ditch in front of him. Water burns vampires' skin like acid so Kain will need
to find another way past. He jumps upon the drainage tanks and from the top;
he leaps off and telekinetically floats to the other side.
Deeper within the Stronghold, Kain finds the door that will undoubtedly lead
him to the place where Moebius lies. However some type of blessed barrier
protects the door. As Kain approaches the barrier, the Reaver begins to
resonate. Kain uses it against the barrier but as he suspects the Reaver is
not yet powerful enough to break the barrier.
As Kain walks through the Stronghold, gates suddenly slam down at his
entrance and exit. Three Sarafan archers on a bridge above have noticed him
and begin firing. Kain uses his telekinetic powers to easily dispatch of
these three. To exit, Kain uses his Mist Form to pass through the gate.
When Kain enters the main hall of the Stronghold, a gate suddenly slams
behind him sealing off the door from which he entered. Kain wonders why these
Sarafan seem to love doors so much. Undeterred, Kain continues on into the
chapel.
Inside, Kain sees a strange emblem placed in front of him but before he picks
it up, he senses something. Kain immediately arms the Reaver and uses his
mist form to swiftly exit the chapel where he finds two Sarafan archers on
the balconies outside. After Kain has killed these two, he walks back into
the chapel.
Kain picks up the emblem. On close inspection, Kain knows it is of vampire
origin and it seems to enhance the Reaver's power. The Reaver glows red with
energy. But Kain is not naive and knows that it to be no coincidence that he
has finds it here and realises that Moebius must have deliberately put it
there for him to find.
Behind him, two Sarafan catch sight of him and order for the alarm to be
sounded. Quickly, several Sarafan surround Kain. They promise Kain an easy
death if he surrenders. Kain replies that he would be lying if he made the
same promise to them.
Kain discovers that the enhancement provided by the emblem allows the Reaver
to unleash a shockwave of energy once it has devoured enough blood. He uses
this new ability and his superb swordsmanship to dispatch of every single one
of his attackers.
Nearby, Kain sees a blessed barrier just like the one sealing the path to
Moebius. Now enhanced by the emblem, the Reaver is powerful enough to dispel
the barrier without trouble. Kain sets off to remove the blessed barrier and
then find Moebius.
Inside the Chapter House, where he had previously saved Raziel from being
consumed by the Reaver, Kain finds a door with strangely shaped slot upon it.
The door is locked and Kain realises he will need to find a key in the shape
of the slot on the door.
Kain makes it back to the blessed barrier and destroys it. Within, he finds a
staircase leading to some underground caverns. Kain performs superhuman jumps
across platforms and uses his telekinetic powers to break rock columns in
order to get through the caverns.
Inside a room deep within the caverns, Kain finds Moebius talking to an
unseen person. Moebius tells whoever it is that he understands his request
and will promptly carry it out.
Without turning Moebius addresses Kain. Moebius acknowledges the centuries it
has been since Kain last met him. Kain does not want a long elaborate speech
from Moebius and gets straight to the reason why he is here. Raziel.
Moebius merely tells Kain that Raziel has been 'swept from the board'. Kain
suspects Moebius is one to have done this and demands to know where Raziel
is. Moebius laughingly tells Kain that perhaps rather than 'where', he should
ask 'when' Raziel is. Moebius realises the self-shame that Kain must feel in
having to come beg to him.
Kain is tired of Moebius' talk and advances upon the Time Streamer, but
Moebius activates his spectre. Kain drops the Reaver and collapses to the
floor in agony, clutching his chest. Moebius mockingly tells Kain how he is
almost amazed that Kain has fallen before his sceptre just like a common
vampire. Kain strains to grab the Reaver, just a foot away from him, but the
agony is too great for him.
Kneeling down, Moebius is amazed how Kain is still arrogant after all these
years. He knows of Kain's 'brilliant plan' to save Nosgoth and tells him that
whilst he has read the signs of the Ancient vampires' prophecies, he has not
interpreted them properly. He knows that Kain believes himself to be the
'Scion of Balance', a prophesied vampire hero, and that he believes that
Raziel is somehow the key to his destiny. The look upon Kain's face affirms
these claims.
Once again, Kain attempts to grab the Reaver but cannot due to the intense
pain in his chest. Moebius tells Kain that he has been deluded by these
prophecies and as such does not realise Raziel's true nature. As Moebius
stands up, he tells Kain that he does not realise what he has done by saving
Raziel. Moebius believes that perhaps, years ago, Kain may have followed wise
guidance when offered to him but now he has become so vain that he has also
become witless. He tells Kain that he has to learn the 'truth' on his own.
Moebius uses his foot to push the Reaver to the still weakened Kain. As Kain
grabs it weakly, Moebius begins to leave the cavern via an adjacent
staircase. He tells Kain that the effects of his sceptre will dissipate once
he and his spectre are far away from him. However, by that time, Kain will
have more 'urgent concerns' than finding him. Moebius hopes that Kain will
have learnt some respect for him by the time they next meet. A door then
closes behind Moebius just as Kain recovers and gets up.
Suddenly, several Shades appear, almost out of thin air, and attack Kain.
Kain uses the Reaver to destroy them all and comments on how this was not one
of Moebius' better attempts at stopping him. Kain claims that he has a few
surprises in store for Moebius once he finds him.
##############
THE UNDERWORLD
##############
Deep within in the Spectral Underworld, Raziel, with the Wraith Blade still
wrapped around his arm, lies crouched weakly before the Elder God.
Apparently, Raziel has not fed in a long time.
The Elder God demands that Raziel cease his rebellion against it. It reminds
Raziel that it made him into what he is now, a Reaver of Souls and this is
his only purpose; he has no other hence he should abandon his vain hopes of
some higher destiny. The Elder God demands that Raziel feed. Raziel adamantly
refuses.
The Elder God wonders what Raziel can gains from this act of defiance. Raziel
replies that he gains some satisfaction by infuriating it. The Elder God
tells Raziel that its patience is eternal and wonders how long Raziel can
possibly last in this place holding his stern defiance. It tells Raziel that
the Wheel of Fate needs to turn; it is the engine of life and all souls are
inevitably drawn to it, purified and reborn in an infinite cycle hence Raziel
is only continuing this cycle of life by devouring souls.
Raziel is fed up with this and muses whether the Elder God is simply
attempting to make Raziel submit by boring him. Raziel is tired of the Elder
God telling him that the Wheel is some type of noble, necessary process as he
knows as just as the Elder God does, that it is merely a parasite under the
pretence of righteousness. Raziel refuses to do its bidding.
The Elder God ominously tells Raziel that it knows that Raziel stays in this
realm not though will but cowardice. It knows that Raziel is constantly
reminded of his inevitable fate, imprisoned in the Reaver, by the Wraith
Blade. The fear of this is what stops Raziel from trying to escape.
Raziel admits to himself that this is true. He knows that as long as he stays
in the Spectral Realm, he can avoid the Reaver and hence his fate. But he
realizes that being imprisoned in the Reaver is no worse than being
imprisoned here in the Underworld, weak and hungry, for all eternity. It
would be better for Raziel to face his destiny rather than run from it.
Raziel realises what he must do.
Just as the Elder God demands him once again to become its Angel of Death,
Raziel submits to the Elder God at last and bows down. Pleased, it brings
forth a soul to Raziel. Raziel devours it and gasps as his hunger is banished
and his strength renewed. The Elder God tells Raziel that he will realise
that just defiance has its price, obedience has its rewards. As it says this,
it releases its tentacles blocking the way out of the chamber. Raziel tells
the Elder God that his 'submission' is not what it seems.
Raziel leaves the chamber and heads to an adjacent room. He looks below and
sees a seemingly dangerous mist at the base of the chamber. Raziel realises
great peril will come from falling into it.
Just as he is about leave this room, the Elder God's tentacles wrap around
the exit. It tells Raziel that he has not yet proved his obedience yet.
Raziel tells the Elder God that he needs to feed it. In response, it tells
him that he also needs to feed himself. Raziel tells it that the Wheel of
Fate must turn. The Elder God approvingly realises that Raziel now
understands the importance of the Wheel.
After Raziel devours several of the lost souls in the room, the Elder God is
satisfied and lets Raziel leave, but before it does, it ominously reminds
Raziel that his soul belongs to it and as such Raziel shall be no more
successful in escaping the Elder God than escaping himself.
In the next chamber, the Elder God wants Raziel to clear it of all Sluagh in
exchange for Raziel's passage out. Raziel summons the Wraith Blade
confidently and battles them all. After he has devoured all of their souls,
the Elder God promptly rewards his obedient servant and allows him to leave.
In the next room, Raziel looks up and sees a way leading out of the
Underworld. The Elder God realises he is trying to escape and begins to raise
the deadly mist in the room in an attempt to stop him. Raziel's escape is
hindered by the Elder God's destruction of his pathways but he uses his
tattered wings to gap across these gaps.
Making it to the top of the room, Raziel makes a leap of faith towards a
ledge leading to the exit. Raziel only just manages to sink his claw into the
ledge and pull himself up as the Elder God uses its tentacles to grab him.
Raziel runs and jumps out of the Underworld entrance just as the Elder God's
tentacles shoot up. Fortunately for Raziel, the Elder God accidentally
damages a stone structure above and inadvertently seals off the entrance to
the Underworld.
Raziel realises that the Elder God had not expected him to escape as it tried
so vainly to stop him escaping. Raziel knows he has displeased the Elder God
and finds a small victory in this.
In an adjacent room, Raziel finds an opening far above his head. He realises
that he will have to be in the Material Realm to access that opening as the
room is filled with water but water has no buoyancy in the Spectral Realm.
Raziel climbs his way out of the room he is in and comes across a door with
two statues adjacent. The door is locked and Raziel realises he will need to
fit a certain artefact on one of the statues to open. However, to even be
able to use this object, he will need to be in the Material Realm, as
physical objects cannot be affected in the Spectral Realm.
Raziel finds his way into some corridors. Just then tentacles pop out of the
ground and attack him. He slices these with the Wraith Blade and they retreat
back into the ground bleeding. Apparently, the Elder God is making attempts
to recapture Raziel.
At last in a crypt, Raziel finds a shift portal, which will allow him to
gather matter and will himself into the Material Realm. Raziel walks up to it
but is stopped by the laugh of the Elder God. Apparently, it was the Elder
God who provided Raziel with these portals but now it has no reason for
Raziel to enter the Material Realm and hence removes them. It tells Raziel
that he shall remain a wraith forever. Raziel is adamant that he will not be
imprisoned in this realm and resolves to find another way out.
Raziel phases through a barred window of the building he is in and finds
himself inside a cemetery. Above, he catches sight of several lost souls.
Suddenly, two flying spectral beings known as Archons appear and consume the
souls. Raziel realises this is what he will become if he does not escape this
realm. He knows that these beings are agents of the Elder God who hunt lost
souls and send them to the Wheel of Fate. The Archons attack Raziel and
attempt to drain his spectral energy but Raziel jumps into the air to attack
to fight back and destroy them.
Raziel realises that the Elder God had intended that Raziel would exist for
the sole purpose of feeding him and his Wheel of Fate. He is determined to
escape this realm while he still has his own will.
######################
THE SARAFAN STRONGHOLD
######################
Kain approaches the door that Moebius used to leave. There is a Falcon
Insignia upon the door, which bears the same shape as the slot on the door in
the Chapter House. Kain takes it and heads off to the Chapter House.
Back in the prison area, Kain finds dead Sarafan lying everywhere. He soon
finds the cause of their demise as several Shades surround him. He destroys
them and continues on.
In a courtyard of the Stronghold, Kain sees a statue of Malek, leader of the
Sarafan and Conflict Guardian. Kain notices that the sword and shield of the
statue are missing. Nearby, there are sealed doors with the symbols of the
sword and shield; the sword and shield will have to be returned to open the
doors.
Further on in the Stronghold, Kain finds a guard behind a gate. He turns into
Mist Form to pass the gate and put the Sarafan in a strangle hold. Kain
demands to know where Moebius is. Terrified for his life, the Sarafan points
to a nearby tower. Nonetheless, Kain snaps the Sarafan's neck and continues
on.
Inside the Chapter House, Kain places the Falcon Insignia in the door and it
opens. Kain goes through and finds it leads him to the second floor of the
Stronghold. In the main hall, Kain performs a superhuman jump from one
balcony on one side of the hall to another opposite.
On the balcony opposite, Kain finds a storage room with a statue of Malek and
a floor plate. By stepping on it, a wall in the room rotates around to reveal
another statue of Malek but this one has a shield. But, as Kain steps off the
plate, the wall rotates back. Kain uses a nearby block to hold the floor
plate and he grabs the shield. Although it disgusts Kain to restore his
enemy's dignity, he will have to return the shield to the courtyard to unlock
the door.
Kain uses Malek's shield on his statue and the barrier sealing the shield
door is gone. Kain heads through and makes his way to a room where he finds
another statue of Malek but with his sword in his hand. Kain takes the sword
and returns it to the statue in the courtyard. Now, the other door and the
way to the tower are open to Kain. He looks forward to 'resuming his
conservation' with Moebius.
On the way to the tower, Kain finds a strange room with four torches. Inside
Kain finds a strange artefact with the symbol of two swords crossed over a
flame. When Kain joins it to the emblem he found earlier, this fragment
endows the Reaver with the elemental power of Flame and Kain's telekinetic
powers become able to ignite flammable objects and douse flames. The Reaver
glows orange with energy. Judging from three other slots on the main emblem,
Kain deduces there must be three other artefacts, like this Flame artefact,
to be found.
Just as Kain leaves the room he is confronted by several Sarafan. Kain
discovers that the Flame enhanced Reaver allows him to unleash a spell that
inspires hate amongst his enemies for a brief period of time. The Sarafan
fight each other to the death and Kain kills the survivor.
Kain enters the tower and knows Moebius must be in a room above. However,
there is no staircase leading there. Kain notices two smouldering torches in
the room and ignites them with his Flame enhanced telekinetic powers. Tiles
in the wall form a staircase for Kain to climb up.
At the top, Kain comes across a door. He listens quietly and then violently
breaks it down. As wood splinters fly through the air, Moebius turns around
and sees Kain. He is glad that Kain has one of four pieces of the 'Balance
Emblem' and tells him that if he finds the other three fragments, the Balance
Emblem shall be of great use to him.
Kain immediately uses his telekinetic powers to fling Moebius' spectre far
away from him and to strangle the Time Streamer himself. Moebius tells Kain
that he cannot possibly kill him, as they both know, this is the moment in
history where he dies. Kain tells Moebius that death is not the only thing he
can afflict upon him and increases his grip on the Time Streamer's neck.
Gasping for air, Moebius tells Kain that his judgement has adversely affected
by his delusions of fulfilling the Ancient vampires' prophesies and that
Raziel is nothing like what Kain imagines him to be. Kain is amazed that
Moebius has the audacity to imagine what he thinks and telekinetically hurls
him into a nearby wall.
Recovering from the impact upon the wall, Moebius tells Kain that even though
he prevented Raziel from entering the Reaver, he has done nothing to change
his fate, Raziel's or even Nosgoth's, as such his actions are futile. But
Kain points out that Raziel still has his free will. He knows that Moebius is
frightened of Raziel since his free will prevents Moebius from seeing his
future and thus cannot control it.
But Moebius points out that Kain cannot control Raziel's destiny either. He
admits while he and his conspirators cannot see Raziel's destiny, they can
predict his future and they know that no matter what destiny Raziel chooses,
it will always lead to him killing Kain. By preventing Raziel entering the
Reaver, Moebius tells Kain that he has allowed the event of history where
Raziel kills him.
Slightly annoyed, Kain tells Moebius that he has still not told him where
Raziel is and slams him onto the ground. Moebius tells Kain that Raziel 'is
not, in a true sense, here'. Kain is irritated by Moebius' vague comments and
warns him of his short patience before demanding again what he has done to
Raziel. Moebius tells Kain that Raziel is 'contained' and will be released
once it is safe to do so. One day Raziel will be absorbed into the Reaver.
But for now, Raziel is far more dangerous than Kain understands.
Kain wonders about the evidence Moebius has for these claims. Moebius tells
Kain, if he goes west of the Pillars, he will find his evidence written in
stone and teleports away. Kain comments to himself that stones are capable of
lies.
On the balcony outside, Kain sees the intact, pristine Pillars of Nosgoth.
West of there, according Moebius, Kain will find the evidence he lacks.
Turning into a flock of bats, Kain sets off to the Pillars.
############
THE CEMETERY
############
Raziel is sure there must be some way to leave the Spectral Realm without the
help of Shift portals. Raziel will not be able to do anything about his
destiny while he lingers in the Spectral Realm.
In a crypt in the cemetery, Raziel finds a smashed coffin with ethereal gases
emanating from the corpse within. As Raziel approaches the gases, he feels an
increasingly strong pull to the Material Realm. Raziel steps within the gases
and projects his spirit into the corpse of the coffin.
In the Material Realm, something disturbs the rubble of the coffin from
within. Suddenly, the corpse within breaks out but this corpse has Raziel's
wings. Raziel tears off the skin of the corpse and is himself again.
Nearby, Raziel notices a door and approaches it but two stone gargoyles
detect his presence and seal the door off. Raziel will have to find a way to
get through without being seen. Raziel leaves the crypt via the other door in
the room.
Heading back to the main cemetery, Raziel discover several of Moebius'
vampire hunters discussing how one of them is afraid to approach the Pillars
of Nosgoth because of a moaning and crying female ghost who resides there.
Suddenly, one of them spots Raziel and is unsure whether he is a vampire or a
demon. Raziel summons the Wraith Blade and kills them all. Raziel realises
that since he is in the era of Moebius' crusade, he was trapped in the
Underworld for five hundred years. He also realises who this female spirit at
the Pillars must be. It must be Ariel; perhaps she can provide Raziel with
the answers he is looking for. But first Raziel needs to find some way out of
the cemetery.
On a balcony above, Raziel catches sight of an ancient temple, possibly of
vampire origin since it possesses the symbol of the Reaver and the elemental
symbol of Light. The answers Raziel seeks may be within but the balcony is
too high for Raziel to reach.
Further on, Raziel finds another temple, this one with the elemental symbol
of Darkness. Just like the other one, it is too high for Raziel to reach.
Raziel looks around the cemetery and finds an ancient gate sealed by two orbs
containing the elemental powers of Light and Darkness. If Raziel is able to
extinguish these orbs, the gate will open and a pathway will be opened to him
to the Pillars of Nosgoth.
Inside a crypt, green eyed possessed corpses known as Revenants suddenly
appear out of the ground and surround Raziel. They call his name and call him
'fallen hero' and 'renegade and traitor'. Raziel asks how they know his name.
They merely reply that he is nothing and there is no reason for anyone to
know his name.
Raziel realises that his new method of shifting Realms is not original since
these beings appear to have done the same. Raziel wonders where these beings
have come from. He uses the Wraith Blade to dispatch of them and devour their
souls.
Raziel returns to the area where he exited the Underworld and swims
underwater to the opening that he saw earlier. It leads to a room where he
finds a shield that will open the locked door he previously saw. Raziel
places the shield on one of the statues and the door opens.
Raziel goes through and makes his way into a clearing. On a high ledge is an
ancient edifice, far older than the rest of the cemetery, marked with the
elemental power of Light. The ledge is too high for Raziel to reach and the
door is sealed by the elemental power of Darkness. Raziel will have to find
the Dark Reaver before he can enter this edifice.
In another clearing, Raziel finds a similar edifice marked with the elemental
symbol of Darkness above it. Raziel places the Wraith Blade within the lock
and opens the long sealed door. Inside, he finds a cavern with a warp gate.
Raziel steps through and feels a strange sense of displacement as he is
transported to another place. Raziel arrives at some Ancient vampire ruin
where he may discover the answers to the riddle of his destiny.
As he arrives, Raziel sees several murals depicting significant events in
vampire history. They show the war between the Ancient vampires and their
rivals and how the Ancients banished their rivals, using the Pillars to lock
them in the Demon Dimension. Another mural shows the Ancient vampires'
prophesied hero armed with the Reaver. Raziel wonders if he is their hero
then why the Reaver had tried to consume him in the Sarafan Stronghold.
Further on, Raziel discovers another mural. This one depicts the appointment
of the Ancient vampire Guardians of the Pillars. Each Guardian is aligned to
the element of their Pillar and the Balance Guardian is one who joins them
together.
In the main chamber of the ruin, Raziel discovers a large vessel of purple
energy. Raziel places his left arm into it and absorbs the energy. The Wraith
Blade has been imbued with the elemental power of Darkness. With this, Raziel
can now open the way to the Light Temple.
Raziel leaves the Dark Temple via the warp gate and sets off to the Light
Temple. As he leaves the warp gate, two stone gargoyles appear like the ones
he saw earlier. Raziel discovers that the Dark enhancement allows the Wraith
Blade to unleash a spell that grants him temporary invisibility. He uses this
new power to bypass the gargoyles and leave the cavern.
Raziel heads back to the stone gargoyles he saw earlier and bypasses them
with his invisibility spell. Inside, Raziel makes his way into a mausoleum.
The owner of the mausoleum is revealed when Raziel finds a portrait of the
human Kain above a smashed coffin. In an incredible coincidence, Raziel has
found his way into Kain's Mausoleum.
Leaving Kain's Mausoleum, Raziel finds a large column that he pushes to allow
him to jump from it to the previously inaccessible ledge. Here, he places the
Dark Reaver into the lock and enters another cavern. Inside, Raziel finds
another warp gate, he steps through and feels the displacement once more as
he is transported to the Light Temple.
Inside, Raziel finds a mural depicting the enemies of Ancient vampires
inflicting the blood curse upon them. The mural shows that this curse caused
many of them to commit suicide in despair and madness. Raziel is puzzled how
this was so devastating for them that it would lead to suicide.
Inside the main chamber, Raziel finds another large vessel but this one
contains yellow energy. Raziel once again places his arm into it and absorbs
the energy. The Wraith Blade has been imbued with the elemental power of
Light. This Light enhancement allows the Wraith Blade to unleash a spell that
temporarily blind all surrounding enemies.
With the Dark and Light Reavers, Raziel can now extinguish both dark and
light orbs at the ancient gate and gain access to the Pillars and Ariel.
Before Raziel can leave however, a statue of an Ancient comes to life and
attacks him. This enemy is extremely tough and it takes dozens of strikes
with the Wraith Blade to destroy it. Once defeated, the animated statue
explodes in a deafening explosion.
At the ancient gate, Raziel extinguishes the Light and Dark Orbs with the
Dark and Light Reavers respectively and thus opens the gate. Raziel now heads
off to the Pillars.
#######################################
THE PILLARS (IN THE AGE OF THE SARAFAN)
#######################################
Arriving in a flock of bats, Kain heads towards the Pillars of Nosgoth. He
considers it strange to be seeing them so many years before his birth and
their corruption that would lead into the path that he still follows now.
Five hundred years from now, his younger self will make a decision, which
will cause the collapse of the Pillars, and he will build his doomed empire
on their ruins. Kain wonders whether it is possible for him to restore
Nosgoth and make the Pillars once again pure.
Approaching the Pillars, Kain recollects what Moebius told him about his
answers laying west of here. Perhaps, somehow Kain can restore Nosgoth but he
knows that he can never make her innocent again.
Kain heads west and finds a strange vista nearby the end of a cliff
overlooking a lake. Kain wonders whether this is one of Moebius' tricks or
whether it is some genuine puzzle. Kain examines the vista closer and sees a
familiar symbol. It is that of the Balance Emblem but with the right section
missing. Kain will need to recover this piece of the Balance Emblem and slot
into the vista to solve its riddle.
Kain heads back to the Pillars and searches south for the missing Balance
Emblem fragment. Above a strange statue, he then catches sight of it. Kain
climbs up and picks it up. The Reaver glows green with energy.
This fragment endows the Reaver with the elemental power of Dimension. Kain
sets back to the western vista to slot this fragment into it and, provided
Moebius spoke the truth, find a secret west of the Pillars.
On the way to the vista, Kain discovers that the Dimension fragment of the
Balance Emblem enables the Reaver to unleash a spell that allows Kain to
teleport rapidly to all adjacent foes and attack them with ease before any of
them can react.
Kain places the Dimension fragment into the vista. The vista breaks apart and
the mist covering the lake, revealing an ancient citadel. Kain wonders
whether this means that Moebius was not lying or whether it is merely an
illusion created by the Time Streamer to delay Kain's true destiny.
Kain sets off to the citadel in Bat Form.
#######################################
THE PILLARS OF NOSGOTH (500 YEARS LATER)
#######################################
Raziel walks along a river and contemplates how the vampire hunters fear to
walk these paths around the Pillars. Raziel knows of one spirit in this place
and wonders whether there are others.
Raziel's way to the Pillars is blocked by a gate apparently opened by the
ignition of two adjacent, smouldering braziers. Raziel will need some type of
fire source to ignite them.
After searching of his surroundings, Raziel discovers a door sealed by the
elemental power of Light. He places the Light Reaver in the lock and enters
another cavern.
Inside Raziel finds another warp gate. He steps through and is transported to
another of the Ancient vampires' ruins.
Raziel finds a mural that gives him his first clue to the riddle of his
destiny. It depicts a vampire forging the Reaver. He recognises who this
vampire is. Although now changed by age now, it is unequivocally the vampire
Vorador. In the era that Raziel is now in, Vorador still lives. Raziel
realises that Vorador may the answers that Raziel seeks but he will have to
reach him before Moebius' vampire hunters do.
Another mural in the same room reveals a significant detail about Vorador's
transformation into a vampire. Raziel already knows that Vorador had not been
born a vampire and had been endowed with the dark gift by Janos but this
mural shows that Vorador was indeed the first human to be turned into a
vampire. The Ancient vampires had been forced to do this as their enemies had
cursed them with sterility as well as the insatiable thirst for blood.
Raziel heads immediately to the large vessel in this temple but it is not
active. He will have to find a way to activate it.
Raziel catches sight of a room with a coffin in it. Above the coffin is the
symbol of the Conflict Pillar but the door is barred by a gate. Raziel shifts
into the Spectral Realm and phases through the gate. Approaching the coffin,
Raziel meets the spirit of the Ancient vampire Conflict Guardian, now a
shadow of his former self, his wings are nothing more than bone and his face
horribly disfigured.
The Conflict Guardian tells Raziel his appearance is a result of his long
habitude in the Spectral Realms. Raziel offers him a 'solution'. The Conflict
Guardian tells Raziel that this appearance is his punishment for his sins and
then tells Raziel that his moment of existence has now passed. Raziel summons
the Wraith Blade in defence.
The Conflict Guardian fires telekinetic projectiles and sends summons Shades
after Raziel. Raziel tries to attack him but a magical shield guards him.
Then he notices that the Guardian has to lower his shield when using
telekinesis or summoning Shades; Raziel takes his opportunity to attack the
Conflict Guardian.
When the Conflict Guardian is defeated, his soul is sent to the vessel in the
main chamber. Apparently, it is some type of spirit vessel. Raziel returns to
the spirit vessel but apparently the soul of one Guardian is not enough to
activate it. Perhaps there is another around somewhere.
Raziel finds the tomb of the Nature Guardian and meets her spirit, also
disfigured. She tells Raziel that today she will release his soul. The Nature
Guardian also has a magical barrier protecting her; she fires telekinetic
projectiles at Raziel and summons tentacles to attack him. Raziel slices the
tentacles and awaits an opening in her shield then attacks.
When the Nature Guardian is defeated, her soul too is sent to the spirit
vessel. It is now activated. Raziel returns to the Material Realm and places
his arm into the orange energy of the souls of the Conflict and Nature
Guardians. The Wraith Blade has been imbued with the elemental power of Fire.
Raziel can use the Fire Reaver to light the braziers at the gate and make his
way to the Pillars.
Raziel leaves the Fire Temple and heads to the gate. When Raziel lights the
braziers with the Fire Reaver, the gate opens and he heads to the Pillars.
Whilst fighting vampire hunters, he discovers that the Fire enhancement
allows the Wraith Blade to unleash a spell that emits a wave of fire, burning
all adjacent enemies.
Raziel sees the Pillars of Nosgoth, in this era, decaying due to the
corruption of the Circle. Here Raziel sees Ariel, the last pure Guardian
since the corruption, bound to the Pillars until Kain has died and Balance is
restored.
Ariel asks who Raziel is. Raziel reveals to her that he knows her but she is
yet to know him. She feels she has no time for riddles such as this, but
Raziel tells her, on the contrary, that the only thing she has is time.
Raziel asks for her guidance but Ariel tells him that she only guides one man
and that is not Raziel. But she tells Raziel that he will soon know this man
and he will bring about the end of Raziel's kind.
Raziel is puzzled by what she means and inquires as to what exactly she
thinks 'his race' is. Ariel answers that his name is and will remain
'Unspoken'. She believes that Raziel serves the one who murdered her and
begun the corruption. But now hope, in the form of Kain, is at work. She
believes that he will restore Balance and expel 'Raziel's kind' from Nosgoth
forever.
Raziel knowingly tells her that Kain will disappoint her. Ariel wonders what
Raziel possibly knows about Kain; he tells her he knows more about Kain that
she can imagine. Ariel is adamant that Kain will sacrifice himself when the
time comes. This shows to Raziel that Ariel doesn't know Kain that well if
she believes he would do that.
Ariel tells Raziel that she knows what Kain has been summoned to do; it is
her faith in this sustains her. Raziel wonders whether it is actually faith
or perhaps it is fear of Kain refusing the sacrifice and leaving her trapped
here forever. Ariel wants to hear no more of this. Raziel tells her if she
answers his questions, he will leave her and her delusions of Kain alone.
Ariel accepts this agreement.
Raziel asks where he can find Vorador. Ariel wonders whether it is to kill
him or to die with him. With the exception of Kain, Vorador is the last of
the vampires thanks to Moebius' genocidal vampire purge. Raziel keeps his
reasons for seeking Vorador to himself. Ariel tells Raziel that Vorador's
Mansion lies in the Black Forest and points north east of the Pillars. She
tells Raziel that he and Vorador will die there together and fades off from
Raziel's sight.
Raziel heads northeast and finds a ledge, which shall lead him to the Black
Forest. It is far too high for Raziel to reach; however nearby there is a
vent attuned to the elemental principle of Air. Perhaps by finding the Air
Reaver, this vent will provide access to the ledge and hence the Black
Forest.
After further searching, west of the Pillars Raziel finds a door sealed with
the elemental power of Fire. He opens it with the Fire Reaver and enters.
Inside, there is another warp gate. Raziel steps through and is transported
to the Air Temple.
Inside, Raziel finds a badly weathered mural. Like so many other murals, it
depicts the Vampire hero but this mural reveals something new. Apparently,
the Vampire hero is destined to have an adversary, worthy of his powers, who
holds a flaming sword. Unfortunately, the mural is damaged to an extent that
it is impossible to determine the adversary's appearance.
As was the case in the Fire Temple, the spirit vessel is inactivated. Raziel
finds to the tomb of the Mind Guardian and meets the Guardian himself. He
tells Raziel that whilst they won everything, they also lost everything and
while they won they thought mattered in reality they lost that which truly
mattered. The Mind Guardian tells Raziel that he still has the opportunity of
the bliss of death. Summoning the Wraith Blade, Raziel refuses this offer.
The Mind Guardian creates three other identical illusions of himself to
confuse Raziel. The illusions are easily destroyed when Raziel attacks them
and he soon determines the real Mind Guardian.
Once the Mind Guardian is defeated, his soul is sent to the spirit vessel. As
before in the Fire Temple, this one soul is not enough to activate it.
Raziel finds the tomb of the Dimension Guardian and is met by his spirit. The
Dimension Guardian notices that Raziel also has or had the blood curse. He
demands that Raziel give up and allow his soul to be released. Raziel
refuses.
Raziel battles the Dimension Guardian but with some difficulty as he keeps
teleporting around the room. Raziel manages to get in some lucky strikes and
eventually defeats the Ancient vampire Guardian.
The Dimension Guardian's soul is sent to the spirit vessel once he is
defeated; this activates the vessel. Raziel places his arm into the white
energy of the Mind and Dimension Guardian's souls. The Wraith Blade has been
imbued with the elemental power of Air. Raziel can use the Air Reaver to
activate the vent that will allow him to reach the ledge to the Black Forest.
The Air enhancement allows the Wraith Blade to unleash a spell that emits
huge gusts of air that blow away Raziel's enemies and cripple them as they
crash into adjacent walls.
Raziel heads back north east of the Pillars and places the Air Reaver in the
vent. A gust of air rises from underneath him and pushes him up into the air.
From the apex from the air stream, Raziel glides to the ledge and his path to
Vorador's Mansion is clear. Raziel believes that Vorador is the only person
capable of freeing Raziel from his fate imprisoned in the Reaver. He hopes to
get to Vorador's Mansion before Moebius' vampire hunters do.
###################
THE VAMPIRE CITADEL
###################
Kain arrives in a chamber in a tower of the citadel in Bat Form. This citadel
belonged to the Ancient vampires and the chamber he is currently in is the
council chamber of the original Circle of Nine; now the citadel is long
abandoned due to their extinction. Kain hopes to find their wisdom here.
Gazing out at the Pillars, Kain ponders over how Moebius told him that here
he would find evidence that Raziel is not what he believes him to be. By
guiding Kain here, Moebius has also inadvertently helped Kain to begin to
uncover his destiny as Scion of Balance.
Throughout the Vampire Citadel, Kain is repeated attacked by packs of feral
humans who speak an ancient language unknown to Kain.
On the outside walls of the main building of the Vampire Citadel, Kain finds
two murals; one of them is damaged and impossible to decipher. The undamaged
one is undoubtedly is the evidence Moebius wanted Kain to find. Kain sees
from this mural that the Ancient vampires had foreseen two champions; one of
them the redeemer of Nosgoth, the other the destroyer.
The Vampire Saviour wields the Reaver, which had been forged solely for him,
and his adversary is the saviour of the vampires' enemies - the Hylden. The
Hylden Saviour is shown to wield a flaming sword. The mural shows the
shocking and indubitable outcome of the battle between the Vampire Saviour
and the Hylden Saviour. The Hylden Saviour would impale and kill the Vampire
Saviour.
The door to the main building is sealed shut and the answers that Kain seeks
are certainly inside. The key to open the door is the complete Balance
Emblem. Unfortunately, Kain currently only has two of the fragments, Flame
and Dimension. Kain decides to look within the Citadel for the other two
fragments.
Kain finds a warp gate that leads him into the Light Temple. Unable to find a
Balance Emblem fragment here, Kain heads through another warp gate that leads
to the Fire Temple. In here, Kain sees several inanimate statues. He is not
naive enough to believe that they will remain inanimate.
Kain's attempts to find a Balance Emblem fragment are similarly unsuccessful
here and Kain heads through a warp gate leading him to the Water Temple.
Here, Kain finally makes a breakthrough in finding a sealed door of
importance. To the right and left of the door are slots for shapes in the
symbols of the States and Death Pillars.
In the tombs of the States and Death Guardians, Kain finds a Rusted Scales
relic and a Carved Stone Skull relic. He places these in the slots to the
sides of the door and the door opens. Inside Kain at last finds another
fragment of the Balance Emblem. The Reaver glows yellow with energy. This
fragment endows the Reaver with the elemental power of Lightning. The Reaver
can now cast a spell that strikes all enemies with lightning.
Kain's journey back to Vampire Citadel is interrupted when the statues he saw
earlier come to life and attack him. Animated statues throughout the Water,
Fire and Light Temples hinder his journey back and after many difficult
battles Kain makes it back.
Kain uses the Lightning fragment to open a new area of the Vampire Citadel.
Kain feels he has still so much to discover in this ruin.
#################
VORADOR'S MANSION
#################
Raziel runs through the Black Forest, jumps over a log and looks around
briefly before proceeding to the gate of courtyard of Vorador's Mansion. It
is locked but with some effort Raziel barges through it.
Raziel stands before Vorador's Mansion that had once been the base of
Vorador's decadent and depraved private kingdom. Now, it is apparently
abandoned with no movement anywhere. Raziel hopes Moebius' vampires hunters
have not arrived before him.
Raziel heads to the front door and attempts to open it but it won't budge.
Suddenly, something shakes the ground. Raziel leaps back into the courtyard
and witnesses two statues come to life and land behind him. When Raziel
destroys one of them, he notices that the noise of the explosion created by
its destruction fractures the door above the front door. The destruction of
the second statue causes the balcony above the front door to collapse.
Raziel climbs the rubble of the balcony and smashes open the window glass. He
then phases through the frame in Spectral to enter the mansion. Inside,
Raziel discovers Vorador's great wealth and luxury.
Within the mansion, Raziel is attacked by Revenants who are Hylden possessing
the corpses of dead vampires. These Revenants are more formidable than the
human Revenants and can create a barrier around themselves capable of
deflecting Raziel's telekinetic projectiles back at him.
Raziel makes his way into a fountain room and discovers in the pool, a warp
gate leading to another of the Ancient vampires' temples. However, the
surface is disturbed by water flowing into it from three gargoyles above and
Raziel cannot enter it. Ascending to the second level of the fountain room,
Raziel discovers three murals each depicting an Ancient impaling one of their
enemies. Raziel realises that these murals depict what he is to do with the
gargoyles.
In Vorador's garden, Raziel discovers a strange chamber in which Vorador may
be hiding. The torches outside the door are the key to opening the chamber.
The torches do not stay lit for long if Raziel ignites them individually so
he casts a spell with the Fire Reaver to ignite them all. However, the door
remains shut. Raziel guesses he lit too many and will now need a water source
to put out some of the torches.
Raziel finds his way into Vorador's library and discovers a statue of the
Ancient vampire who was depicted in the mural. Raziel deduces some
significance behind it. After extinguishing all six dark orbs in the room,
the weapon shown in the mural, the 'Blood Drinker' spear, magically appears
in the statue's hands.
Raziel returns to the fountain room and thrusts the Blood Drinker into the
appropriate gargoyle. This causes the gargoyle to 'bleed' and cease spouting
water. If Raziel finds the other two weapons depicted in the murals, he can
stop the other gargoyles' water flow and enter the warp gate.
Raziel makes his way into Vorador's dining room and discovers another statue
of one of the Ancients in the mural. After extinguishing all the light orbs
in the room, the Heart Seeker spear appears in the statues' hands. Raziel
goes back to the fountain room and impales another gargoyle.
Deep within Vorador's dungeons, Raziel encounters a door requiring a certain
artefact before it opens. Through this door, is the third spear but Raziel
will need to find the unlocking artefact first.
Inside a sewer, Raziel finds the artefact needed, Vorador's crest. However,
it is only one half of the entire crest and thus will not open the door.
Raziel finds the second piece deep within the dungeons.
Raziel puts the two pieces in place and the crypt door opens. Inside is the
third and final statue. When Raziel ignites all the lamps in the room, the
Soul Stealer spear appears. Raziel takes it to the fountain room and impales
the final gargoyle.
Now there is all water flowing into the pool ceases and the warp gate
activates. Raziel jumps into it and is transported to the Water Temple.
Here, Raziel finds an unblemished version of the mural he saw in the Air
Temple. Raziel now clearly sees the appearance of the adversary, champion of
the enemy race. He bears flaming eyes and a fiery sword. Summoning his Wraith
Blade, Raziel realises his similarity to the adversary.
He realises that perhaps it is Kain who is the Vampire Saviour and he himself
is the saviour of the enemy race. Raziel wonders whether Kain has realised
this. This revelation makes Raziel realise that Moebius was right all long;
it is his destiny to fight Kain to the death. Raziel wonders what part free
will, if anything, has to do with this.
Raziel approaches the spirit vessel of the Water Temple and is confronted by
the spirits of the States and Death Guardians. The Death Guardian tells him
that Raziel will find his release in death; the States Guardian tells him
that his spirit state is only his redemption for his sins.
The States Guardian turns himself into gas and attempts to trap Raziel whilst
the Death Guardian propels himself at Raziel. Raziel dodges both of them and
sends their spirits into the spirit vessel.
Raziel places his arm into the light-blue energy of the States and Death
Guardians' souls. The Wraith Blade has been imbued with the elemental power
of Water. This water enhancement allows the Wraith Blade to unleash a spell
that temporarily freezes all adjacent enemies. Also, Raziel can now use the
Water Reaver to extinguish the torches in the garden.
Rubble collapses that blocks off Raziel way out. Noticing a nearby waterfall,
Raziel uses the Water Reaver to freeze it. Raziel climbs up the frozen
waterfall to the first floor and out of the Water Temple.
Raziel heads to the garden and puts out the appropriate torches. The door
opens and Raziel enters the chamber. Vorador is inside armed with his sword.
He greets Raziel as 'our wretched little saviour'. He wonders if Raziel has
come to join the last battle of the vampire race and if he has, which side he
is fighting on.
Raziel tells Vorador that his reasons for coming here are not hostile. Raziel
approaches Vorador but the old vampire keeps him at a distance with his
sword. Vorador replies that Raziel doesn't actually realise the reasons why
he's here. Raziel tells Vorador that he knows that he created the Reaver and
as such he can free him from his fate of being imprisoned in it.
Vorador confirms that he did indeed create the Reaver but he cannot free
Raziel from his fate and neither does he know the Reaver's true purpose. All
he knows are the prophecies that Janos Audron shared with him. Raziel wonders
if these 'prophesies' explain why Vorador forged a weapon that would imprison
the Vampire Saviour.
With a slight realisation, Vorador replies it must be because Raziel has
chosen a certain path. Vorador puts his sword away. Raziel replies that he
has chosen no path, everyone has deceived him and Vorador is the only person
who can tell him what he is. He demands to know.
Vorador tells him that once he thought he knew who Raziel was but that has
changed now with the failure of all the prophecies as the Pillars are
corrupted and the vampire race is nearing extinction. And when that moment
comes, all the prophecies will have been worth nothing.
Raziel reminds Vorador about Kain. Vorador tells Raziel that Kain does not
yet realise his importance. Vorador cannot help Raziel even if he cared to do
so. He tells Raziel that while he forged the Reaver, it was Janos Audron and
the other Ancient vampires who infused it with their magic. Vorador does not
know what this magic was.
Raziel tells Vorador that Janos had told him, back in his retreat north of
Uschtenheim, that the Reaver was forged for him and him alone. Raziel wonders
whether Janos meant as Raziel's weapon or his prison. Vorador tells Raziel
that perhaps he should ask Janos himself. Vorador tells the surprised Raziel
that Janos is here. He activates a hidden door and leads Raziel down into a
sacred crypt lit with hundreds of candles. And there on a couch, lays Janos'
blood stained corpse, his heart torn out five hundred years ago by the
Sarafan.
Raziel is amazed that there's no decay after five hundred years. Vorador
explains that Janos' Heart is still beating somewhere and as long as it does
Janos' body is preserved. If his heart is returned, Janos can be resurrected.
Raziel is surprised that Vorador hasn't tried to recover it but Vorador
corrects him. Vorador had tried on many occasions to retrieve the Heart but
it was too well hidden.
The Sarafan took it as a trophy to Avernus Cathedral and christened it the
'Heart of Darkness'. They carefully hid it away in case it fell into vampire
hands. Vorador tells Raziel he can redeem himself if he recovers the heart.
If Janos is resurrected then he will give Raziel all the answers he wants.
Vorador then gives Raziel a library seal that will unlock a door in the
mansion's library leading to Avernus. He warns Raziel of dark sorcery in
Avernus Cathedral before teleporting away.
Raziel goes to the library and sees Vorador already there. Slightly downcast,
Vorador tells Raziel that Avernus is being destroyed by fire and there is a
danger that the Heart will be too. Raziel asks how he can possibly hope to
find the Heart in such a situation. Vorador tells him to act quickly and
warns him about an ancient evil within the cathedral that has been long
'Unspoken'. Without doubt, this evil must be the source of the corruption of
the Pillars and the Circle. He urges Raziel to resist its influence before
teleporting away.
Raziel uses the library seal and sets off to the burning city of Avernus.
###################
THE VAMPIRE CITADEL
###################
Kain only needs one final piece to complete the Balance Emblem and enter the
locked door at the main building. He finds a warp gate that leads him to the
Earth Temple.
Inside, Kain finds murals of a history that he already partially knows. As
the Ancient vampires began to die out, the Pillars summoned human Guardians
instead. The Ancient vampires were forced to adopt and if necessary, abduct
the human Guardians then turn them into vampires in order to ensure the
Pillars remained in vampire hands.
Eventually, the humans rebelled against them and to Kain's surprise; they
were led by Moebius and Mortanius, the Death Guardian. Now Kain realises why
Moebius has such a strong detest for him; Kain was the first vampire Guardian
in centuries and Moebius knew what this meant. Or perhaps, as Kain muses, he
reminded Moebius of the era that had been.
Unable to find a fragment here, Kain is forced to search in another temple.
He finds the warp gate leading to the Air Temple but it is inactive as the
orb that powers it is destroyed. Kain will need a substitute to get to the
Air Temple.
Further on, Kain finds a warp gate to the Dark Temple and goes there. In the
Dark Temple, Kain finds a damaged warp gate but most importantly is that
there is an intact orb that can power the warp gate leading to the Air
Temple. Kain heads back to the Earth Temple and activates the warp gate with
this orb.
In the Air Temple, Kain finds two murals in a room. One of them he has
already seen, the mural of the Hylden Saviour killing the Vampire Saviour but
the second mural puts that one in doubt. For the second mural depicts the
exact opposite; the Vampire Saviour impaling and killing the Hylden Saviour.
Apparently, the Ancient vampires could not foresee who would survive the
battle, all they knew was that only one of them would survive. This appears
all too conveniently laid out for Kain and he suspects Moebius.
Unable to find a fragment in the Air Temple, Kain uses a warp gate that takes
him to the Light Temple. There he finds the last fragment of the Balance
Emblem. The Reaver glows blue with energy. This fragment endows the Reaver
with the elemental power of Time. The Reaver can now unleash a spell that
slows down time for Kain's enemies while he remains at normal time.
With the Balance Emblem completed Kain can now enter the main building and
finds a mysterious chamber within. Inside, Kain finds a pool in the centre of
the room and a mural on the wall. This shows clearly how the Ancient vampires
considered the blood thirst to be a curse. Kain wonders why they sealed this
chamber so securely since there seems to be little in it. He considers
perhaps it was meant to keep something within from escaping rather than keep
intruders out.
Suddenly, a loud booming voice calls his name from the pool. Kain puts one
hand on the Reaver in alarm. The voice acknowledges him the Scion of Balance
and Saviour of Nosgoth. Releasing his grip on the Reaver, Kain asks what this
is. The voice replies that Kain's arrival here has been foretold; Fate has
willed it. Kain listens unconvinced.
The voice claims to be the Oracle of the Ancient vampires. This 'Oracle'
offers to provide Kain with the answers he seeks. It claims that it knows
what Kain wishes, knowledge of Raziel. It creates an image in the pool of
Raziel in Vorador's hidden chamber next to Janos. Kain learns from this
Oracle that Raziel has found Janos Audron's body and now journeys to Avernus
Cathedral to find his heart. The Oracle knows that Kain knows the
consequences of this. The image in the pool changes to that of Avernus in
flames.
Kain asks why he should trust it and its prophecies. The Oracle replies that
the events it shows have already been written just as Kain has feared. It
tells Kain that he still has time to stop Raziel. Kain realises that since
Raziel is at a time when Avernus is burning, he must be five hundred years in
the future.
The Oracle offers to help Kain in this and creates for him a time portal that
will send Kain to the precise hour at which Raziel arrives in Avernus. It
tells Kain that it is he who must carry out this deed since it was he who
made Raziel what he is. Kain knows that he cannot trust this 'oracle' but he
has no choice. Reluctantly, Kain jumps into the time portal.
Five hundred years later, Kain emerges from the time portal. Kain is familiar
with the sensation of time travel and the chamber appears to be changed by
time. The mural on the wall has weathered away. This seems to affirm that the
Oracle was telling the truth.
The Oracle tells Kain that he knows what he must do to stop Raziel. Kain
tells the Oracle that Raziel is not his enemy. Ominously, the Oracle tells
Kain that it is the case the other way round; he is Raziel's enemy.
Kain heads to the edge of a cliff and sees Avernus in flames just over the
horizon. So, the Oracle did indeed send Kain the era it promised and perhaps
it was also truthful in telling him that Raziel is there looking for the
Heart of Darkness. Kain knows it is too dangerous to allow Raziel to
resurrect Janos Audron. He needs to stop him.
Kain sets off to Avernus Cathedral in Bat Form.
#################
AVERNUS CATHEDRAL
#################
Entering the main hall of the Cathedral, Raziel knows that the Heart of
Darkness lies somewhere hidden. Raziel has seen the chaos outside and knows
that the cathedral is not going to stay safe for long.
In times such as this, Raziel knows that hidden secrets like are either
suddenly revealed or forever lost. He hopes the latter will not occur.
Inside the cathedral, Raziel finds another warp gate leading to a Reaver
Temple. Raziel steps through.
Inside, Raziel finds he is in the Earth Temple. He catches sight of a mural
with a symbol that he has seen before in all the other temples. He realises
now what it was that the Ancient vampires worshipped. This mural shows how
the Ancient vampires were tormented and thrown into despair as their
immortality exempted them from the Wheel of Fate.
Raziel now knows the Elder God had abandoned them and drove them to suicide
in its silence. Raziel realises that it was immortality that was the true
vengeance that the Ancient vampires' enemies had cast upon them not the blood
curse. Raziel is almost amazed that such a wise, strong and noble race had
been fooled by the Elder God. Raziel has seen it for what it truly is and
knows it is no god.
Near the spirit vessel in this temple, Raziel meets the spirits of the Energy
and Time Guardians. The Time Guardian tells Raziel that all upon the Wheel of
Fate are blessed and the Energy Guardian tells Raziel that he should rejoice
that the Wheel turns. The Time Guardian, although cannot see the Wheel
himself, knows that it turns. Raziel summons the Wraith Blade and tells them
the Wheel is a fraud. The Energy Guardian tells Raziel that he will soon join
the Wheel.
The Energy Guardian fires energy bolts at Raziel and protects herself with an
energy shield whilst the Time Guardian repeatedly slows down and speeds up
time for Raziel, making it hard for him to fight.
Raziel defeats them both and their spirits are sent to the spirit vessel in
the room. Raziel places his arm into the green-yellow energy of the Energy
and Time Guardians' souls. The Wraith Blade has been imbued with the
elemental power of Earth. The Wraith Blade can now unleash a spell that
causes an earthquake inflicting massive damage upon enemies.
Noticing a strange device in the ground, Raziel plunges the Earth Reaver into
it and suddenly earth from the ground forms into platforms floating in the
air. Raziel climbs and jumps across these to leave the Earth Temple.
Raziel heads back into the main hall of the cathedral and is attacked by
Cenobite priests who unleash sorcery against him. After dispatching of them
all, he finds an Earth device on the ground like the one he saw earlier. He
plunges the Earth Reaver into it and earth platforms form that allows him to
reach the second floor of the cathedral. There he finds a book of Dark
Scripture that he takes to the altar.
Avernus Cathedral is suddenly flooded with red light as a portal appears
leading Raziel to catacombs below the cathedral where he is certain dark
secrets lie. Raziel wonders if this is where the corruption that infects
Nosgoth originates. Vorador had suggested something more sinister back in the
mansion.
Raziel enters the dark catacombs and discovers some very interesting murals.
As Raziel comments, 'history is written by the victors'. Here are murals of a
story that has become very familiar to him but these murals tell it from a
very different point of view.
These murals have been made by the enemy race and show what the Ancient
vampire histories left out. The Ancient vampires driven by their god had
actually started the wars between the two races that would destroy both of
then. The enemy race had refused to worship the Elder God and the Wheel of
Fate; this refusal lead to the Ancient vampires banishing them to the Demon
Dimension.
Raziel now fully understands the poetic irony of the blood curse and now
realises it is no coincidence that he so resembles the saviour of the enemy
race.
Within the catacombs, Raziel is confronted by demons, the same demons that
had so plagued him in the era a hundred years after Kain's decision and when
he went to the Sarafan Stronghold to avenge Janos' murder. It is almost
certain that whatever dark forces are after him and Kain are bound to be
near.
Raziel finds another mural drawn by the enemy race. They had foretold a hero
who would save them from the Ancient vampires and destroy the Elder God. As
seen in the vampire murals, this hero wields a flaming sword. Raziel wonders
how both races could've claimed to triumph over their opponents with the same
card.
Suddenly, the Elder God speaks to Raziel. It tells him that his true nature
is finally revealed. He was never the Vampire Saviour; he is the saviour of
the enemy race known as the Hylden. He taunts Raziel by asking him what Kain
will do when he realises this.
In a large room with a deep pit, Raziel slowly approaches and hears chants of
'Hash'ak'gik!' He then hears a man's voice speak to 'Hash'ak'gik', offering a
sacrifice to whatever it is. Raziel has apparently stumbled into some bloody,
dark ritual. Raziel wonders if this is the source of the corruption of
Avernus and Nosgoth.
Closer now, Raziel can see who the man is and he recognises him. It is the
Death Guardian, Mortanius. He offers the blood of the sacrificed to avert the
wrath of Hash'ak'gik. Raziel sees Mortanius now walk away as the Cenobites
praise their god.
Raziel wonders what exactly it is that these humans worship so devoutly.
Perhaps it is the 'Unspoken' that Vorador had warned Raziel about. Suddenly,
a telekinetic grip seizes Raziel and pulls him down into the pit. He lands
amongst several skeletal remains. Getting up, Raziel hears loud footsteps; he
is about to meet the inhabitant of the pit.
A grotesque, four-legged monstrous beast approaches Raziel. It says that it
cannot smell any blood; it demands that its sacrifices have their throats cut
and, with the blood spurting, then they are thrown into the pit. It
apparently assumes Raziel is the sacrifice and threatens its worshippers with
its wrath due to the poor sacrifice.
The monster smells Raziel and appears to recognise Raziel's smell. Raziel
points the Wraith Blade at its face and warns it to step away. The monster
also recognises Raziel's voice but does not believe it could be Raziel since
it reveals it knows that Raziel fell into the Abyss.
Raziel argues that he didn't fall into the Abyss; he was thrown in. The
monster finally knows this blue creature standing before him is indeed Raziel
with this statement. It tells Raziel that he heard what he did to his
brethren and now he has found him.
Raziel realises this monster is his brother Turel, who managed to escape
Raziel's vengeance in Nosgoth's future. The monster confirms that 'Turel' had
been his name long ago. Raziel is amazed by how disgusting Turel is in
appearance in comparison to the others.
Turel claims he has changed and become a god, now far more powerful than
Raziel and even Kain. Raziel realises that he is the god, 'Hash'ak'gik', who
the Cenobites above worship; Turel confirms this.
Raziel wonders how this came to be. Turel explained he was summoned while in
a time of great darkness and hunger. Raziel wonders why Turel stays in the
pit but angrily Turel replies that he would not even be in here if he could
escape. Turel begins to tell Raziel of 'them' who torment him but suddenly
convulses in pain.
Turel, his eyes strangely glowing green, tells Raziel that this is the
foretold hour. Raziel is confused by Turel's sudden change in attitude.
Apparently, he is being possessed by several beings. These beings that
possess him, explain that they use Turel to command the human worshippers
above and that the blood sacrifices are to keep him alive. They claim that
while Turel has been a 'durable vessel' for them, he cannot take them any
further from here.
Turel attempts to fight off the possession but is unsuccessful. They urge
Raziel to prevail against the vampire saviour who is currently on his way
here. Finally successful in fighting his possessors, Turel demands the
worshippers to bring him blood. Turning to Raziel, Turel claims that his
blood will strengthen him against his possessors. Wary, Raziel summons the
Wraith Blade and demands to know what Turel is about to do. Tired of
questions and worship, Turel tells Raziel it is now time to him to run,
scream and die.
Similarly with Raziel's other brethren, the Wraith Blade is ineffective
against Turel. Raziel dodges the huge monster's telekinetic blasts and body
slams. Just then, Turel emits a deafening screech to create a telekinetic
band of energy that begins to close in on Raziel. Before it does however,
Raziel notices one of the gongs in the room vibrating violently due to
Turel's screech. Raziel runs to the gong and hits it causing a loud
reverberation that stuns Turel. In this moment of weakness, Raziel attacks
Turel and runs when he recovers.
Turel then causes a screech that vibrates all the gongs in the pit. Raziel
hits all of them, which severely weakens Turel. Bleeding, Turel collapses on
the floor and tells Raziel to finish it. Before Raziel performs the coup de
grace, the beings within Turel speak to Raziel once more. They urge him
quickly to go and kill the vampire saviour. This shall help destroy the
Binding and set all the Hylden free. Drained of his strength, Turel then
dies.
Raziel consumes his soul and rather ominously appears to consume those of the
beings within Turel also. Raziel's eyes glow green...
Consuming Turel's soul has amplified Raziel's telekinetic powers and he uses
these to destroy a column blocking his way out. Raziel then climbs out of the
pit.
At the top of the pit, Raziel sees Mortanius conveying a message to the
younger Kain to return to the Pillars for the 'grand finale'.
Once he has finished his message, Raziel calls out to Mortanius. Mortanius
turns around and magically removes his skull mask. He comments how the
Binding must be fragile, as Raziel has made his way out. He tells Raziel that
he is too late.
As Raziel inquires to this, Mortanius is suddenly possessed like Turel had
been but he manages to fight it off. Recovering, he tells Raziel he is too
late for the victory he seeks. Raziel tells Mortanius that he has mistaken
who he is. Unconvinced, Mortanius reminds Raziel of whom it was who taught
him the ancient prophesies.
Mortanius is possessed again but this time cannot resist it. The possessor
agrees with Mortanius that Raziel is indeed long overdue but it does not
matter to him since now, with or without Raziel's help, the Hylden will
prevail.
Raziel realises this is the 'Unspoken' that is speaking to him and comments
on the irony that he has hidden himself away inside one of the Circle
members. The Unspoken agrees that it is indeed ironic that he is destroying
the Pillars using one of their own Guardians. He claims the Hylden will
finally have their full revenge for all time. Mortanius tries to regain
control but is unsuccessful; the Unspoken tells Raziel that Mortanius has
little strength left and must be careful not be kill him.
Mortanius finally fights off the influence of the Unspoken and tells Raziel
that he feels his kind does not accept defeat. Raziel asks where the Heart of
Darkness is. Mortanius acknowledges the cleverness behind, what he assumes to
be, Raziel's plan for the Heart of Darkness but he again tells Raziel that he
is too late.
Mortanius tells Raziel that he has already used the Heart of Darkness to
begin the prophecies and create the foretold Vampire Saviour, the 'Scion of
Balance', destined to destroy Raziel. He claims that the Scion of Balance
will save Nosgoth, return the Pillars to vampire Guardianship and expel the
Hylden from Nosgoth forever.
Raziel realises who this 'Scion of Balance' is and that Mortanius must have
used the Heart of Darkness to resurrect the human Kain into a vampire.
Mortanius admits at first he did not believe in the Ancient vampires'
prophesies and thought that vampires were a plague that needed to be
destroyed but now he realises that the Ancient vampires were right and he and
Moebius were wrong in overthrowing them. Back then, they didn't know what the
Pillars were imprisoning but now he has performed his acts of redemption and
will continue them until the end, which he knows is soon. Mortanius
unwaveringly believes that Kain will restore Balance.
Raziel demands to know where the Heart is and wonders whether Mortanius
destroyed it. Amused and surprised at Raziel's ignorance, Mortanius tells
Raziel that Kain is guarding it with his life.
Shocked, Raziel realises that the Heart is still inside Kain. As Mortanius
speaks of how his use of the Heart will redeem him and Nosgoth, the Unspoken
possesses him again and comments on how weak Mortanius is becoming. However,
soon the Unspoken claims he will have a stronger vessel to possess. He
approaches Raziel, who backs away, and claims now the foretold hour comes and
soon the Hylden will be released.
Weakly, Mortanius fights off the Unspoken, summons his skull mask and
teleports to the Pillars. For a long time, Raziel considers what he has just
heard.
#################
AVERNUS CATHEDRAL
#################
Bats gather into the shape of Kain. Kain has arrived at Avernus Cathedral. He
draws the Reaver and walks a short distance down the hall. Suddenly there is
a flash of light. Raziel appears.
Raziel is not at all surprised to see Kain and muses why. Kain claims the
reason is that their destinies are conjoined and inseparable. No matter where
Raziel goes or does, he will always run into Kain.
Raziel asks what has happened to the free will that Kain had told him he had.
Kain claims Raziel still has it and it's exactly the reason why he is here.
Raziel reminds Kain that it was his actions that set his destiny in motion.
He claims that Kain's coin has finally struck the ground and now he must
follow its outcome. Kain argues that the coin is still turning.
Kain warns Raziel that Janos Audron's resurrection will jeopardise the best
resolution for both their futures. Raziel makes no effort to conceal his
beliefs that Kain merely doesn't want Janos to be raised and will only allow
Raziel to use his free will when he desires. As he says this, ominously,
there is a brief green glow in his eyes.
Kain warns Raziel that there's much more at stake that he understands. Raziel
agrees and tells him that it will be Janos who will give him the answers that
will make him understand. Kain urges Raziel to trust him and tells him that
both of their intentions for their futures and that of Nosgoth's are not so
different. Raziel contemptuously asks what the alternative shall be to him
trusting Kain.
Kain tells Raziel he is not here to threaten him. Raziel wonders how he can
say that whilst holding Raziel's destined prison in his hand. As Kain puts
the Reaver away, he reminds Raziel that he saved him from being devoured by
it back in the Sarafan Stronghold and explains that he has no intention of
Raziel ever entering it. Raziel believes that this will only apply up to the
moment when it serves Kain's plan to do so.
Kain tells Raziel that he is not the only person in danger here and reminds
Raziel that he holds the only weapon capable of destroying him, the wraith
blade of the Soul Reaver, and in coming here he has taken a great risk.
Raziel then summons the Wraith Blade, unusually and ominously green,
realising that Kain knows who both of them are destined to be. Kain confirms
this. Raziel wonders how Kain can know this and still treat Raziel like a
pawn.
Raziel, his eyes glowing green, takes a swing at Kain. Kain dodges and warns
Raziel. Raziel argues if the two of them are indeed the Vampire and Hylden
Saviours then they are not destined to fight to the death to decide Nosgoth's
fate. Kain believes Raziel is being foolish and tells Raziel that he will not
fight him.
Raziel is amazed that this is going to be the prophesied battle; that he will
win because Kain will not fight him. Raziel again swings the Wraith Blade at
Kain, who dodges out the way again. Raziel mocks Kain by telling him how he,
the Scion of Balance and Saviour of Nosgoth, is to give up before the final
battle begins.
Raziel leaps at Kain but Kain catches him and uses his momentum to fling him
into the altar. Finally, Kain agrees to fight believing it will make Raziel
see sense. Kain dodges the Wraith Blade and counters Raziel's newly enhanced
telekinetic powers. Kain eventually brings Raziel down upon his knees.
Holding the Reaver to Raziel's chest, Kain demands that Raziel listen to him.
He warns Raziel that the use of the Heart of Darkness is dangerous and it
must remain undiscovered. Raziel is amazed that Kain actually doesn't know
where it is and never actually looked for it. Kain tells Raziel that its
location does not matter. Every being is forced to a predestined path and
bound to the Wheel of Fate. Raziel knows this already and tells Kain as such.
But Kain tells Raziel that however there is one being who is unbound by fate
and truly has free will. That being is Raziel because he was remade after
being thrown into the Abyss. He reminds Raziel that he has a choice but
Raziel is convinced that this 'choice' must be according to Kain's wishes. He
tells Kain, who begins to lower the Reaver, that he is no longer his pawn and
his powers may now surpass Kain's. It will be ironic that the creature that
Kain created should destroy him.
Raziel, with green glowing eyes, summons the ominously green Wraith Blade and
tells Kain it's time to finish this dispute once and for all. Raziel fights
Kain, his former master, and eventually manages deliver a blow across Kain's
chest that knocks him away bleeding. Although exhausted, Raziel lunges at
Kain with the Wraith Blade but Kain recovers in time and catches Raziel's
arm.
As the two struggle against each other's grip, suddenly Raziel's soul begins
to drain into the Reaver via Kain. Weakened, Raziel falls to his knees and
begins to flicker out of existence. He grabs Kain's neck accusingly.
Kain sincerely swears to Raziel that his was not his intention. Raziel
mutters 'Vae Victis' and with his last ounce of strength, thrusts his left
claw into Kain's chest, pulling out the Heart of Darkness. His eyes glowing
green, commenting 'Woe to the conquered', Raziel reveals to Kain that this
Heart is the Heart of Darkness. Raziel then fires a telekinetic projectile at
the bleeding Kain. Kain is flung back into the portal behind him and
vanishes.
Apparently, some dark influence in the cathedral had fuelled Raziel rage and
now, exhausted, Raziel's rage subsides and his eyes return to normal. Kain is
gone. But Raziel feels no sense of victory or pleasure in this. All he feels
is that he and Kain have surely once again blindly carried out their enemies'
intent. Raziel doesn't know whether Kain actually intended to imprison him in
the Reaver and now he will never know.
Raziel returns to Vorador's Mansion and discovers it damaged and overrun by
Moebius' vampire hunters. He hopes they haven't yet found the entrance to
Janos' crypt.
Vorador is nowhere to be seen. Suddenly, a familiar voice calls out to Raziel
from a nearby balcony. It is Moebius, who is accompanied by several vampire
hunters. Moebius thanks Raziel for killing Kain. Raziel guesses that Moebius
wants similar gratitude for his capture of Vorador unless of course Vorador
has escaped. Moebius throws Vorador's sword to Raziel's feet to prove his
capture.
Moebius tells Raziel there were great casualties in capturing Vorador. Raziel
knows that will have pleased the old vampire. Moebius then tells Raziel that
Vorador is to be beheaded soon and with that all vampires in Nosgoth will be
destroyed. Raziel reminds Moebius that he too is to die soon.
Moebius explains that since he is a devoted servant of the Elder God, his
death does not bother him. He says that he will die happily with the
knowledge that he has faithfully served his god. Moebius then reiterates that
Raziel has killed Kain.
Moebius asks Raziel which of the two Saviours he thinks he is and reveals
that he and the Elder God didn't actually care who Raziel thought he was,
just as long as he killed Kain. Moebius feels he cannot properly express his
gratitude to Raziel for killing Kain.
Raziel realises that all of his actions have been arranged and laughs at how
Kain thought he had free will. Moebius tells Raziel that he actually does
which is a great triumph for him, to have been able to manipulate the one
person who had free will. Moebius then teleports away to the execution of
Vorador and leaves Raziel with the vampire hunters, who surround him.
Raziel defeats all of the vampire hunters, with the Wraith Blade and his
amplified telekinetic powers, and tries to make his way back to Janos' body.
However, in the struggle to capture Vorador, the vampire hunters have
destroyed many areas of the mansion and Raziel is forced to find alternative
routes.
As the binding weakens, the Revenants are able to transform their bodies into
their true Hylden forms. Raziel's journey back to Janos is impeded by these
Hylden and vampires hunters.
Also, Raziel discovers that the Earth Reaver removes his buoyancy in water
allowing him to walk on the waterbed without having to shift into the
Spectral Realm.
Finally making his way back to the crypt, thankfully, Raziel finds none of
Moebius' vampire hunters here. He makes his back down and goes to Janos'
body. Raziel looks at the heart and contemplates how difficult it had been to
obtain and how Kain had paid for it with his life. All this effort for the
answers that Raziel's seeks.
Moving Janos' hands aside of his chest, Raziel shoves the Heart into the
corpse. But nothing happens. Raziel wonders if all his efforts have been for
nothing. He almost strikes Janos' body in anger.
But then, spirit energy from above surges into Janos' body and Janos
painfully revives. Awaking, the Ancient vampire tells Raziel that he
remembers how he tried to give him the Reaver but the Sarafan arrived and
killed him.
Raziel tells Janos that he's been in this crypt for five hundred years and
that the Sarafan are long dead. Shocked by the time he has been dead, Janos
asks what has happened to Vorador. Raziel tells him that Vorador is dead and
that the vampire race is nearing extinction.
Urgently, Janos tells Raziel that they must hurry and grabs Raziel. However,
Raziel rejects his grip and tells Janos that he's not who he thinks he is. He
did not resurrect Janos out of kindness, only to get answers of his destiny.
Janos tells Raziel that there are dark forces in Nosgoth that strive to
deceive him in order to change his destiny. He tells Raziel that his arrival
was foretold as the salvation of the vampire race.
If this is so, Raziel wonders, why then the Reaver was forged to imprison
him. Janos is shocked in disbelief at what Raziel has just said. Raziel tells
Janos that while the Reaver exists, he is doomed to be consumed by it. Only
Janos can free him from this fate.
Janos tells Raziel that he has been misled since the prophecies tell of him
wielding the Reaver. In response, Raziel shows the shocked Janos, the Wraith
Blade. Seeing both the Reaver and the flaming sword in Raziel's hand, Janos
realises that Raziel is both Nosgoth's redeemer and destroyer and that he
must have misunderstood the prophecies. Raziel's destiny is far more complex
than Janos originally imagined.
Janos urges Raziel to trust him. He will teleport Raziel and himself to the
place where Raziel's answers lie. Doing so, Raziel and Janos disappear in a
flash of blue light.
Upon arriving in a chamber with nine chairs, Raziel asks where they are.
Janos explains they are in the ancient citadel of the vampires, dilapidated
and abandoned long since the Ancient vampires' extinction. The room they are
in is the council chamber of the Ancient vampire Circle of Nine. He tells
Raziel that this chamber survived centuries of war with the Ancient vampires'
enemy. Raziel knows they are the Hylden, which Janos confirms.
The Ancient vampires witnessed the summoning of the Pillars and the banishing
of the Hylden from this chamber. Janos realises the Binding is in danger of
failing as he sees the decayed Pillars shaking ominously. This is the
prophesised hour.
Apathetically, Raziel tells Janos that the Pillars are already damned but
Janos replies as long as one vampire exists in Nosgoth there is still some
hope of saving them. Janos tells Raziel that the humans are not able enough
to serve the Pillars and Guardianship of the Pillars must return to the
vampires. This makes Raziel ask why the Ancients vampires allowed the Pillars
to fall into human hands then in the first place.
Janos feels there is no time to explain but Raziel forces him to by telling
Janos that he wants answers and doesn't care if Nosgoth is destroyed.
Slightly annoyed, Janos tells Raziel that the Hylden afflicted the Ancient
vampires with a blood curse that came with their true revenge, immortality.
Raziel realises that this means that the Ancient vampires could not return to
the Wheel of Fate.
Janos explains that their souls were imprisoned in their bodies and became
exempt from the cycle of death and rebirth that is the Wheel. Raziel
suspiciously wonders why then they passed this curse on. Janos explains that
while evil it was necessary.
Their immortality made the Elder God turn silent from them. Many of them,
unable to bear the separation from their god, committed suicide in despair.
Raziel comments on how Janos did not.
Janos claims that regardless of if immortality is a curse or a blessing, he
and other vampires need to stay alive to keep the Hylden banished. The
Binding can only be sustained as long as there are vampires and so the
Ancient vampires were forced to turn the human Guardians into vampires. The
humans, inevitably, rebelled against them, refusing to be vampires and taking
the Pillars for themselves.
As long as the humans govern the Pillars, the Binding will decay and begin to
fail. If nothing is done, the Hylden will return to this world.
Raziel wonders what any of this has to do with him. Janos explains that they
are at the moment of history where a new era shall begin and Raziel is the
key to this new era. Janos points down and tells Raziel that their innermost
sanctum lies beneath the room they are currently it. Janos senses someone has
already opened the outer chamber and realises their destiny is beginning.
Janos takes a Golden Ouroborus necklace off his neck and gives it to Raziel.
It will open the door to the chamber where Raziel's answers lie. Janos cannot
accompany Raziel. The trial is for Raziel to face alone, if he succeeds, he
will have all the answers he wants and if he fails, he will not return. Janos
teleports away.
Raziel heads outside and finds an open door in the main building. Inside is
the mysterious inner chamber, Janos told him, and uses the Golden Ouroborus
to unlock a door. He follows a long hallway within to a large chamber.
This is the Spirit Forge. Suddenly the Elder God's tentacles burst out of the
ground. Raziel wonders why he should have anticipated its presence here. The
Elder God explains that it is because it is here and everywhere, now and
always since it is the Wheel of Fate, the Circle of life and death.
Raziel muses that perhaps the Ancient vampires committed suicide to escape
the sound of its voice. The Elder God warns Raziel not to be impertinent and
tells him that, to its pleasure, he has fulfilled his purpose.
Raziel wonders then what it is that it is trying to destroy and is it so
afraid of Raziel. Laughing, the Elder God tells him that his fate is
pointless as it was Kain's fate all along that mattered. In the room, Raziel
catches sight of three murals; one of the Vampire Saviour killing the Hylden
Saviour, another of the Hylden Saviour killing the Vampire Saviour and in the
centre is a mural of the Scion of Balance.
Suddenly then, the Elder God pulls the Spirit Forge down into the ground with
its tentacles and covers the Spirit Forge flame with its tentacles.
Apparently, it is trying to extinguish it. Raziel jumps down and attacks its
tentacles. It releases its grip in pain and the Spirit Forge energy flows
into the Dark and Light Reaver devices above.
Raziel places the Dark Reaver into the Dark device and the Spirit Forge
energy is stored within. However, then the Elder God once again covers the
Spirit Forge so Raziel attacks it again. After placing the Light Reaver in
its device, the Spirit Forge energy is stored there as well. From the Dark
and Light devices, the energy flows to the Fire and Water devices.
However, the Elder God pulls the Forge further into the ground and covers its
flame once again. Raziel attacks it and activates the Water and Fire devices.
Energy flows to the Air and Earth devices. Again, the Elder God pulls it
further into the ground and covers it. Raziel attacks it then activates the
Air and Earth Devices.
With the flow of Spirit Forge energy complete, the Spirit Forge is activated
but the Elder God covers it again. Raziel again attacks it; this time it
gives up and leaves.
Suddenly, at the centre of the Forge, energy from all the devices flow to
form the shape of Ariel, her beauty restored. She tells Raziel that the
Spirit Forge has summoned the spirit of every single Balance Guardian for
this moment.
Ariel explains to the confused Raziel that she has become much more than she
once was, the despair blinding her is gone. Her spirit and all those of her
predecessors have been drawn here for the 'final baptism' of the Wraith
Blade. She tells Raziel that in order to restore Balance, the Soul Reaver
must be made pure by the Spirit Forge.
Offering her hand to Raziel, she tells him to release her and her
predecessors, it is for this purpose that all of them were called here.
Raziel takes her hand and absorbs the white purifying energy of all Balance
Guardians' souls. The Wraith Blade has been imbued with the elemental power
of Spirit. Unlike all other enhancements to the Wraith Blade, this one
follows Raziel into the Spectral Realm.
Ariel tells Raziel that he has one more trial, to 'unite what has been set
asunder'. Once that has been accomplished, the Scion of Balance will be armed
for his 'true endeavour'.
Despite what Janos told him, Raziel finds he has not received the answers he
so desires and now has even more questions due to Ariel's words. The Spirit
Reaver was intended for the Scion of Balance, but Kain is now dead. Raziel
wonders what hope possibly remains. Raziel decides to return to Janos quickly
since the chamber is beginning to rumble ominously.
Raziel's journey back to Janos is impeded by demons, vampire Revenants and
Hylden but Raziel finds that the Spirit Reaver is capable of destroying them
all in all but a few strikes. All opponents do little to stand in Raziel's
way.
Raziel returns to Janos who is observing the Pillars in the council chamber.
Janos is worried that the Binding is failing. Raziel realises this is the
moment when Kain would make his decision to preserve his own life rather than
sacrifice himself. Janos tells Raziel that they have one last hope and urges
him to find the one known as the Scion of Balance.
Suddenly there is a flash of light and the Pillars explode. The blast knocks
Raziel off his feet and Janos convulses in pain. Janos stands up, his wings
and body severely burnt. But Raziel sees that his eyes are glowing green.
Raziel realises this being is the same one who possessed Mortanius; the
Unspoken, the Lord of the Hylden. He thanks Raziel for completing his part
flawlessly and is pleased to gain his freedom and vengeance from the same
source by being able possessing Janos.
Janos attempts to fight the Hylden Lord's influence but is unsuccessful. The
Hylden Lord is pleased that Janos is so strong since he requires a strong and
durable vessel for his future plans. He comments on how humans such as
Mortanius are fragile. The Hylden Lord tells Raziel that he has just
delivered the instrument of the Hylden victory.
Raziel lets the Hylden Lord that his celebrations are premature by summoning
the Spirit Reaver. The Hylden Lord tells Raziel that the seduction of the
Circle, possession of Mortanius, murder of Ariel, corruption and collapse of
the Pillars have all been arranged by the Hylden for this very moment when he
could escape.
The Hylden needed an incorruptible vessel and the blood of the Ancient
vampires to carry out their future plans and Raziel has delivered both in the
form of Janos. And also Raziel murdered the Scion of Balance. Because of all
of this, the Hylden Lord knows he's won.
Janos fights off the Hylden Lord's influence and urges Raziel to kill him to
stop the Hylden plans. Before Raziel can reply, the Hylden Lord returns and
laughs at how suicidal Janos is just like the rest of his kind. The Hylden
Lord tells Raziel that he should step aside.
Raziel allows the Hylden Lord to walk past him but then blocks his path with
the Spirit Reaver. Laughing, the Hylden Lord wonders why Raziel is so eager
to die for the vampires' lost cause. Raziel tells the Hylden Lord that he
will not allow him to escape and will destroy Janos if necessary. The Hylden
Lord agrees to this battle and flies into the centre of the room, destroying
all the chairs in the room to clear it.
The Hylden Lord/Janos flies into the air and swoops down at Raziel. Raziel
dodges and the Hylden Lord is briefly stunned as he crashes into the ground.
Raziel takes this opportunity to deliver serious damage to the Hylden Lord
with the Spirit Reaver. He collapses to the floor.
With the Hylden Lord temporarily stunned, Janos urges Raziel to kill him and
hence the Hylden Lord. Raziel prepares for the final strike but finds himself
unable to kill Janos. Then, the Hylden Lord regains control of Janos and
flies into the air.
He tells Raziel that he should've listened to Janos and unleashes a massive
telekinetic attack at Raziel, which knocks him off his feet. The Hylden Lord
approaches the grounded Raziel and unleashes a powerful lightning attack upon
him. Raziel screams in agony.
When the Hylden Lord ceases his attack, Raziel lies still on the floor. The
Hylden Lord says that now it is finished and that a new era will now begin.
The Hylden Lord then flies away in Janos' body. Raziel's material body
dissolves away...
In the Spectral Realm, Raziel finds himself in front of the Elder God. It
tells him that no matter how far Raziel tries to escape, he will always
inevitably return to here, to it. It demands that Raziel surrender. Raziel
refuses and unleashes a barrage of attacks at the Elder God with his Spirit
Reaver.
However, the Elder God merely laughs and tells Raziel that no matter how
enhanced it is, the Spirit Reaver cannot harm it since it is only a wraith
blade. Raziel is determined not to be the Elder God's prisoner but it tells
him he has no choice.
The Elder God tells Raziel that his task of killing Kain has been fulfilled
and the Spirit Forge chamber has been made ready for the Elder God's more
faithful servants. There is now nothing Raziel has left to do.
Raziel refuses to bend his will for the Elder God but it tells him that it
has never been his will always been to serve the Elder God never himself.
Infuriated, Raziel knows that the Elder God is only imprisoning him here
because he has free will. In response, it tells Raziel that he possesses
nothing.
The Elder God tells Raziel that since he is immortal, his soul will never
return to the Wheel of Fate so he will remain here for all eternity with it.
The Elder God then calls Moebius to the Spirit Forge.
#################
AVERNUS CATACOMBS
#################
Somewhere, in a dark, dank, dusty pit, the corpse of Kain lies still. In his
chest is a gaping hole where his heart was ripped out by Raziel.
Suddenly, his eyes open. Realising he is alive, Kain gasps and sits up
straight and holds the empty, quiet place where his heart - Janos Audron's
heart - had been. Kain has no idea how he is still alive.
As Kain begins to get up, suddenly several sinister voices speak to him. Kain
cannot see who it is. They ominously tell Kain that as he lingers in this
realm, his appearance shall grow more and more grotesque.
As Kain picks up the Reaver, lying beside him, they tell him that this realm
will also render him insane without him ever realising it.
Standing up, Kain asks them what this place is. They contemptuously ask Kain
whether he thinks of this realm everyday or whether he has truly forgotten
who they are. They tell him that this is the place where they were banished
by the Ancient vampires thousands of years ago. Kain realises who they are
and where he is.
The Hylden tell him that very soon, they shall at last escape the Demon
Realm. Kain quickly turns around as several demons are sent in behind him.
Greatly outnumbered, Kain barely manages to defeat them all, even with the
help of the Balance Emblem. Suddenly, the pit rumbles and Kain catches sight
of a portal opening within the pit.
Cautiously, Kain steps through and is transported away. On the other side, he
finds himself within a pit with several gongs and skeletal remains.
Suddenly, Kain feels an unexplainable urge to leave this place and
immediately return to the Vampire Citadel.
Kain climbs out the pit and finds himself within some strange catacombs. He
defeats the demons infesting them and finds another portal. This one leads
him back to the main hall of Avernus Cathedral where he is attacked by
several Cenobite priests. Once he has killed them all, Kain sets off to the
Vampire Citadel.
Arriving in the council chamber, Kain catches sight of the collapsed Pillars
of Nosgoth. Kain realises what monumental event in history has just occurred.
The event that shaped Kain's entire destiny: his refusal to sacrifice himself
and restore the Pillar of Balance.
Five hundred years from now, his younger self will create his empire and
raise the Sarafan priests into his vampire lieutenants eventually ordering
for the strongest of them, Raziel, to be thrown into the Abyss; a move
intended to defy Fate.
But now, considering recent events, Kain wonders whether it actually achieved
anything at all. He wonders if Moebius was right and he actually did misread
the signs in his arrogance. Kain wonders if he missed his defiance at Fate.
Kain heads back to the inner chamber where he met the 'Oracle' and finds
someone has opened a door in the room. He goes through and finds a long
hallway. At the end, he opens a door to enter a strange large chamber with
the centre of the room apparently pulled underground by someone or something.
Kain walks to the edge of the hole and looks down. Moebius. Kain smiles and
leaps down.
Moebius tells someone that the Hylden are merely an inconvenient consequence
and he shall deal with them in time. Unbeknownst to him, Kain floats down
behind him and silently draws the Reaver. Moebius proudly claims that Kain's
death more than compensates for the escape of the Hylden.
Moebius gets the shock of his life when Kain, behind him, tells him that his
assumptions of his death are premature. Kain wonders if Moebius is not as
omniscient as he thought he was. Quickly, Moebius raises his staff and
activates it. Nothing happens. Kain stands unaffected. Moebius tries
repeatedly again but his efforts are in vain.
Kain mocks Moebius about how now he has lost both his omniscience and his
powers. Moebius is shocked in disbelief. Kain knocks Moebius' staff aside and
grabs the Time Streamer by the arm. He tells Moebius that the staff only
affected his heart and now it is no longer there...
After joking about how many have considered him to be heartless, Kain tells
Moebius that it is now time for him to die. Moebius is amazed by how Kain
considers murder to be the solution for everything.
Kain tells Moebius that this time he cannot bargain his way out since this
time Moebius has nothing that Kain wants. Kain promptly then runs the Reaver
right through the Time Streamer.
His blood draining into the Reaver, Moebius tells Kain that killing him shall
be of no consequence since he serves a god who can control life and death.
Kain tells Moebius that he is now going to his god and flings him off the
Reaver, onto the floor. Bleeding profusely over the floor, the dying Moebius
tells Kain that his faithful service of his god will ensure that his
resurrection once more. Moebius dies.
Moebius wakes up and stands up. He is in the Spectral Realm; his corpse is
lying at his feet. He is unaware that Raziel is standing directly behind him.
Raziel listens to Moebius apologise to the Elder God, telling him that Kain
is still alive and has killed him. Before he can ask to be resurrected, he
screams as the Spirit Reaver impales him.
Raziel, tauntingly and contemptuously tells Moebius in his ear, that he is
going to release him to the Wheel of Fate. Suddenly, Moebius sees something
before his eyes for the first time. He sees a giant monstrous squid. He sees
the god that he so faithfully served. Moebius is mortified.
Raziel tells Moebius that he is going to feed the Elder God. This prospect,
while several moments ago would've pleased him, now horrifies him, as he now
knows what the Elder God truly is. Raziel releases the Spirit Reaver from
Moebius' back and opens his cowl. Moebius whirls in the air before being
devoured by Raziel.
But the Elder God merely laughs at this, telling Raziel that his devouring of
Moebius means nothing. Although Moebius had served it well, the Elder God
tells Raziel that Moebius had no longer has any use for it. It taunts Raziel
by using this as evidence of how Raziel's every action is to serve it.
But Raziel realises that the Elder God did not expect Kain to be still alive.
The Elder God tells Raziel that both his and Kain's journey will end here.
Raziel reminds the Elder God that he cannot kill either of them. The Elder
God replies that while this may be the case but it still has the ability to
demobilise them. It shakes the ground almost knocking Raziel off his feet.
It ominously tells Raziel that he will soon understand that death is
merciful, when once both he and Kain are trapped within the Vampire Citadel
forever, unable to escape, even through death. It once again shakes the
ground and Raziel is knocked around.
Then Raziel catches sight of the murals behind him. The Vampire Saviour, the
Hylden Saviour and the Scion of Balance. Raziel suddenly realises something.
Moebius had never seen the Elder God before the Spirit Reaver and its purity
allowed him to. Indeed, the Ancient vampires had never seen their god either.
Everything throughout history: conflict, strife, fear and hatred, had
apparently all had been simply to keep the Wheel of Fate turning. Every
single soul led a pointless, ignorant existence until they were returned to
the Wheel once again in death and the cycle would begin again.
The mural of the Scion of Balance stands before Raziel. Raziel wonders what
hope there is. Kain cannot see the Elder God and thus cannot fight it. Raziel
remembers Ariel's message and looks at the mural more closely. The Scion of
Balance armed with a glowing Reaver and symbol of the Spirit Reaver above his
head. Ignoring the Elder God and his taunts, Raziel finally realises what he
must do to end this...
Kain is crouched down carefully examining Moebius' staff. Moebius' corpse
lies behind him. Moebius' eyes glow blue. He rises through the air and
stands. Hearing Moebius call his name, Kain immediately spins around, quickly
slashes Moebius across the chest and impales him against a rock in the pit.
Kain wonders if Moebius enjoys death.
Suddenly, to Kain's horror, Moebius' flesh disappears to reveal Raziel. The
Reaver is beginning to absorb Raziel's soul. Kain quickly attempts to pull it
out but Raziel stops him. Raziel explains to Kain that this is the way it is
meant to be. Raziel realises this was his purpose all along: to create the
Soul Reaver for and to heal the Scion of Balance.
Raziel places his hand on Kain's chest. The hole in Kain's chest is healed as
the Spirit Reaver purifies Kain.
Both Soul Reavers, Raziel and the Reaver, shall become one and the Scion of
Balance - Kain - shall be healed of his corruption. Drained, Raziel tells
Kain that he is not destined to be his enemy, nor his destroyer but his
weapon, the Soul Reaver. Kain cannot believe this is the way it's meant to
end.
In his final words, Raziel tells Kain that he will now see the true enemy.
Kain whispers Raziel's name in shock as he disappears from his eyes forever.
Raziel's soul has endowed the Reaver with the ability to devour souls - the
Soul Reaver has been created. The Spirit Reaver has healed Kain of
Nupraptor's madness and has endowed him with purified sight. Kain realises
this as horrid being appears before his eyes.
Kain looks at the giant monstrous squid before him and curses in horror. It
is the Elder God. It explains to Kain that it is the origin of life and
devourer of death. Kain is horrified by the thought that he condemned Raziel
to this being when he ordered for him to be thrown in the Abyss.
The room begins to rumble as the Elder God tells Kain that he shall have
ample opportunity to reflect upon the pointlessness of his ambitions, as he
will be trapped within this room forever, unable to die. He and Raziel, now
the Soul Reaver, shall go insane as time passes.
But Kain is not threatened by its words. In fact, he is encouraged. Kain
knows that it would not make such threats unless he and Raziel could harm it.
Kain begins systematically slicing through the Elder God's tentacles with the
Soul Reaver, now glowing yellow and blue. The Elder God screams in horror.
Never has anyone harmed it. Confident, Kain tells it that now this is the end
of it and its Wheel of Fate.
A barrier surrounds the Elder God's eye and its tentacles rush in to attack
Kain but he dodges them. Eventually the Elder God tires and it leaves its
tentacles open to Kain's attacks. Injured, the Elder God is unable to sustain
the barrier around its eye. Kain runs up and leaps at the eye, unleashing a
barrage of swipes with the Soul Reaver. In defeat, the Elder God screams in
pain.
Suddenly, the chamber begins to collapse. Kain quickly teleports out of the
pit as rocks fall from above. The Elder God tells Kain that he cannot destroy
it since it is the Engine of Life itself. It threatens Kain that the Wheel of
Fate shall continue to turn and one day, the vampire race will finally be
purged from Nosgoth.
On that day, the Elder God threatens that he will finally have Kain's soul.
Kain 'advises' the Elder God that, until that moment comes, it would be best
if it burrowed deep underground. Kain walks away calmly.
Walking into the council chamber of the Vampire Citadel, Kain walks towards
the viewpoint, where he can see the collapsed Pillars, unsheathing the Soul
Reaver. Now, finally Kain knows who all the hidden forces behind everything
are.
Kain looks at the Soul Reaver and contemplates the last, most powerful gift
that Raziel left him. This was not the Soul Reaver and not the purified
vision but his first experience of a certain feeling in a long time.
Hope.
###############
ii) Conclusions
###############
1. Kain is the Scion of Balance; destined to save Nosgoth.
2. The Spirit Reaver has purified Kain and he is no longer tainted by
Nupraptor's corruption.
3. Raziel has been absorbed into the Reaver; the Reaver has become the Soul
Reaver.
4. The Pillars of Nosgoth are still unrestored.
5. Raziel had apparently gained true free will following his remaking.
6. Turel, the only one of Kain's lieutenants who escaped Raziel's vengeance
back in Nosgoth's future, is now dead. Hence all of Kain's Lieutenants are
dead.
7. Raziel resurrected Janos Audron (which explains his appearance in BO2).
8. The Unspoken/Hylden Lord has escaped the Demon Dimension and possessed
Janos Audron's body.
9. The souls of the Ancient vampire Guardians and Ariel have all been
absorbed into the Wraith Blade.
#################
iii) Observations
#################
1. The Wraith Blade has undergone yet another change in visual appearance.
The Wraith Blade now does look like a spirit of the Soul Reaver which Raziel
now 'holds' by the hilt rather than the blade extending from his palm. Since
there is no explanation in game, we are to assume that this is how it was
always meant to look. (Besides, would Janos have been so shocked if Raziel
showed him SR's or SR2's Wraith Blade?)
2. In a move that annoyed some SR2 players, Raziel has to regain all of his
Reaver enhancements from SR2 (Dark, Light, Air and Fire). Amy Hennig
explained that there was to be a scene where the Elder God would destroy all
the elemental fonts in Nosgoth meaning that Raziel had to gain permanent
enhancements that did not require elemental fonts. (Notice that since Raziel
places his left arm into the Spirit Vessels, he is placing the energy into
himself rather than the Wraith Blade)
3. While the Wraith Blade does still get aroused and more powerful from
devouring souls, it no longer feeds on Raziel as it did in SR2; probably
because it's the only weapon Raziel can use. Otherwise, you would be sent to
the Spectral Realm more times than Kain said 'Vae Victus' in BO.
4. Raziel no longer needs to be at full health to shift from the Spectral
Realm to the Material Realm. This is probably because possessing a corpse is
less energy expending than gathering matter to form around you and willing
yourself into another Realm.
5. Raziel has learnt how to climb walls in the Spectral Realm now despite the
Elder God telling him in SR that these 'insubstantial edifices will not
support you'. Crystal Dynamics have said this was ability that Raziel has
learnt to do over time. I presume that Raziel has learnt to grip the grooves
in the wall that you can see.
6. Raziel can no longer fire projectiles from the Wraith Blade in this game.
I believe the reason is that it's just that he doesn't rather than he can't.
7. Defiance has managed to explain why Janos is alive in BO2 but not Vorador.
Crystal Dynamics had intended to do so but didn't have time to do so.
8. Much to the pleasure of LOK fans, Defiance includes the deleted Reavers of
SR2 and their abilities. Also, Defiance is Crystal Dynamics' first 'full'
game having very little deleted material (that we know of). Currently the
only deleted material known is, as mentioned above, the reason for Vorador's
appearance in BO2, explanations for game mechanic changes such as the ones
mentioned above and some lines which are in the (NTSC: US Version) Bonus
Materials outtakes but not in the actual game :-
- Kain: I have only begun to seek you out. Go hide and be afraid, for I shall
wring you out from this world before I am finished and your so called 'Wheel
of Destiny' shall shatter upon my sword
- Elder God: You think you have defeated me, Kain? It is not possible. I
exist in places you cannot find.
9. The reason for the deletion of scenes that explained changes in the game
from SR2 is because they were deemed to be either too confusing for newcomers
to the series or tediously obvious for long time fans.
10. Alastair Duncan now does the voice of Mortanius instead of Tony Jay. The
reason for this is that Crystal Dynamics did not want people to make
connections between the Elder God and Mortanius and so hired a different
voice actor for the Necromancer.
11. Not really a Defiance observation but an interesting point nonetheless.
Alastair Duncan is married to Anna Gunn. This was not known when he was cast
as Mortanius. Notice the irony that Mortanius killed Ariel in BO?
12. If you're wondering why Mortanius has a different appearance than in BO,
watch the scene more carefully. Apparently his face in BO was a mask that he
can magically summon and the ribs were part of a torso armour.
13. Yes, you guessed it; Raziel still looks like he has a chin. But, 'Omega'
of the Legacy Of Kain.net forums has suggested to me that perhaps it is
because his cowl isn't wrapped tightly around his neck and it is hanging
loosely due to gravity.
14. Kain has now learnt that he can drain blood from his victims by biting
their necks as well as using telekinesis from a distance (as in the BO
series). Also, Raziel has learnt how to pull the soul out of a weakened
enemy's body.
15. 'Vae Victus!' makes a welcome return to the LOK series when Kain impales
his victims and when Raziel takes the Heart of Darkness from Kain. It is
still pronounced the way it was in BO. However Raziel uses the 'Woe to the
conquered' translation rather than 'suffering to the conquered' as used by
Kain in BO. There's no difference between 'woe' and 'suffering' anyway aside
from one being a noun and one being a verb.
16. For those who haven't quite caught on yet that Hylden Lord in Defiance is
indeed the Unspoken in BO and the Sarafan Lord in BO2.
17. Also, in case you didn't realise or you don't actually have this game
(WHY NOT?! GET IT NOW!), that 'Oracle' that Kain meets in the Vampire Citadel
was actually the Elder God attempting to influence Kain into fighting Raziel.
18. We discover in this game how Janos ended up in the Device. After
Defiance, the Hylden Lord took his body to the Device and used his blood to
power the Device.
19. Kain's abdomen scar has been moved to the right place and is now the
right size in continuity with BO.
20. We learn in this game that 'Hash'ak'gik' and the 'Unspoken/Dark Entity'
are different beings. 'Hash'ak'gik' is just the Cenobites' name for Turel and
the 'Unspoken/Dark Entity' is the Hylden/Sarafan Lord. (However, there are
some LOK fans who dispute this, claiming that 'Hash'ak'gik' is actually the
true name of the Hylden/Sarafan Lord and just gave his name to Turel for the
Cenobites to praise. I think it could be either theory but I personally
prefer the one I first stated.)
21. I'm almost certain that you've noticed this but look at the image of the
Scion of Balance when Raziel arrives in the Spirit Forge. The Scion and his
wings are posed in the shape of Kain's clan symbol.
22. A trivial but slightly amusing observation. When Raziel breaks out of the
corpse he has used to enter the Material Realm, his hair is initially out of
place.
23. The artefacts that Raziel picks up are still in his inventory in the
Spectral Realm even though they're physical objects. Also, where does he keep
them? In his cowl?
24. Much of the music is this game is taken from previous games. 'Sarafan
Stronghold' returns in the Sarafan Stronghold (duh!), 'Dark Forge' returns in
the Dark Temple, the Light Temple, the Pillars (Sarafan Era), the Vampire
Citadel and Vorador's Mansion, 'Necropolis' returns in the Cemetery and the
Pillars (BO era), 'Cathedral' returns in the Fire Temple, Air Temple, Water
Temple, Earth Temple and Avernus Cathedral, 'Janos Retreat' is played when
Raziel resurrects Janos, 'Ozar Midrashim' is played in Raziel vs. Kain and
Raziel vs. Janos/Hylden Lord and 'Blood Omen 2 Theme' is played in Kain vs.
Raziel, Kain vs. the Elder God and the end credits.
25. While SR and SR2's Spectral Realm music were warped versions of the area
Raziel was currently in; Defiance has no music, just eerie ambience and
voices and screams of the dead. Also, whilst SR and SR2's Spectral Realm was
just in a blue tone; in this game, a constant blur effect is added to make it
look more eerie.
26. Original music in this game is played in Raziel vs. Turel, the Spirit
Forge and the remix of 'Ariel's Lament' at the title screen.
27. In a nice touch, when Kain first enters the chapter house, Ariel's Lament
plays. The chapter house was a significant room in SR2 and 'Ariel's Lament'
was the theme tune to SR2. Also, what I also thought was a nice touch was the
inclusion of 'Janos Retreat' during Janos' resurrection scene.
28. If you use a telekinetic pull on those arrow-firing columns in the
Sarafan Stronghold, a Sarafan comes out of it! Apparently the Sarafan archer
was firing from within. This can be an easy way to feed Kain or the Reaver.
29. Instead of being the floating glowing balls in the SR series, souls now
have a somewhat humanoid shape. Notice that human souls are different from
Hylden souls and strangely demons have no souls. (Apparently, souls were
meant to look like this originally in SR but the Playstation couldn't handle
it) Also, Hylden souls are green and have wings and demons' souls are cannot
be removed from their bodies by Raziel.
30. Defiance marks the first (and probably only) time that we've heard Raziel
laugh, during the Kain and Raziel battle in Avernus.
31. Simon Templeman has been the only voice actor/Kain is the only character,
to appear in all five games.
32. We discover in this game that Moebius and Mortanius are at least 1000
years old since they were alive when the Ancients starting abducting the
human Guardians.
33. Raziel's phasing through barriers has changed. Rather than his 'skating
crucifix' method in the SR series, he now steps slowly and forcefully
through.
34. We discover the reason for the similarity between the Bone Sword and the
Soul Reaver is that Vorador created them both.
35. The Toon Code for Kain is a flattering reference to blincoln's 2003 April
Fools' joke of 'Vehiculum Furtus Maximo' See
<http://www.thelostworlds.net/3in3.HTML> for more information.
36. The 'Fear the Tube' code is an allusion to Penny Arcade where a character
called Cardboard Tube Samurai uses a cardboard tube as a weapon.
37. Where exactly did Janos go between the time that he teleported away from
Raziel in the council chamber and when Raziel returned with the Spirit
Reaver?
38. Have you noticed that Kain has never lied once in the entire series? He
tells many half-truths and makes vague, ambiguous comments but never lies.
Even for sarcasm. A perfect example of this is when he straight out admits to
Vorador in BO2 that he killed Umah when he could've easily lied.
39. When Raziel's material body is destroyed unlike in the SR series, he does
not just shift back into the Spectral Realm, he shifts back and goes to the
last checkpoint. (Also, for some reason, Raziel's strength no longer recovers
in the Spectral Realm.)
40. When Kain is too weakened, he turns to Bat Form and flies to the last
checkpoint. Presumably, if he did not do this, he would go into a waver state
like the vampires of SR.
41. Unlike in the BO series, Kain cannot bear the touch of any depth of
water. Even water a foot deep causes Kain to instantly revert to Bat Form and
fly back to the last checkpoint.
42. In the tower in the Sarafan Stronghold there are 7 seats, presumably for
Malek, Raziel, Turel, Dumah, Rahab, Zephon and Melchiah.
43. Also, in the Vampire Citadel tower, there are 9 seats, one for each
member of the Circle of Nine. The Balance Guardian's seat is larger than the
others.
44. If you look at the subterranean Pillars chamber in SR2, you will see
something very interesting on the platform. Next to each symbol of Reaver
enhancement are the symbols of the Guardians needed to be absorbed for them
in Defiance. It's like Crystal Dynamics preplanned this.
45. The Elder God summons Moebius to the 'place of our first meeting' and
Moebius is seen in the Spirit Forge later. This implies that Moebius had
lived in or at least visited the Citadel prior to the human rebellion.
46. The Hylden were either *really* bad artists or they were really good at
demonising the Ancients.
47. I can understand that the Elder God can resurrect the dead but how
exactly did he reattach Moebius' head?
48. In SR, Kain asks Raziel what he would do if he were in a position where
he had to sacrifice himself to save Nosgoth. Raziel replies that he would
choose integrity. Raziel's willing sacrifice to be absorbed into the Reaver
proves this.
49. In SR2, Raziel asks the Elder God, 'And if I tell Moebius that he's
worshipping a giant squid, do you think his faith will falter?' I guess we
all know the answer to that now.
50. Raziel's inexperience with TK gripping is shown by how he requires two
hands to do so as opposed to Kain only needing one.
51. Why exactly does Raziel pant breathlessly in Avernus? (And also you can
see his cold breath just at the end of the SR2 intro FMV) He doesn't need air
as shown when he stays underwater for infinite periods. Some have theorised
that it is a psychological action similar to how people who have lost limbs
still feel an urge to itch there occasionally.
52. Unlike in SR and SR2, Raziel's long health spiral follows him into the
Spectral Realm rather than only having one constant small spiral. Probably
because of the undevourable tougher enemies in the Spectral Realm that have
been added in this game.
53. With the knowledge of the Vampire and Hylden Saviours, we finally
understand Vorador's comments in SR2; 'are you the catalyst of these events,
or the answer to them?' and 'are you the instrument of the Pillars'
destruction, or their salvation?'
54. This and SR are the only LOK games without a map of Nosgoth (unless you
count the BO map in the Bonus Materials). This should be fairly easy to
create a map of this game, if you want, since most locations are already
known and the Vampire Citadel is on a lake west of the Pillars, the only lake
west of the Pillars is the Lake of Tears.
55. The Reaver is apparently made from an indestructible material, only
destroyed by history to prevent a paradox. If this is so, how did Vorador
manage to forge the material to make the Reaver in the first place? Perhaps,
it was made from a regular material and then the Ancients cast a spell upon
it that made it indestructible? 'Tom Mernin' points out that Vorador said
that the Ancients cast their magic upon the blade after he had forged it.
56. As Kain look at the Oracle's time portal in the Vampire Citadel. One of
the images is that of Raziel standing upon a cliff overlooking the flaming
Avernus. This image is concept art in the Bonus Materials. I wonder whether
Raziel (i.e. the player) was originally going to explore Avernus.
57. Although a lot of the layout has changed, there are some rooms that refer
back to SR2's Sarafan Stronghold e.g. the main hall, courtyard and the
chapter house.
58. Several times in this game are the Laws of the Spectral Realm,
established in SR, broken. In the Underworld, the Elder God destroys pathways
and eventually the stone structure that seals the place off. ('Damian'
theorises that since the Elder God exists in both planes, when he manipulates
things in the Material Realm, it occurs in the Spectral Realm also.) Also,
Raziel's ability to climb in the Spectral Realm and his grip upon the ledge
just when he's escaping from the Underworld infringe the fact that walls are
supposedly insubstantial in the Spectral Realm. Perhaps the Elder God was
lying in SR?
59. This game introduces several new Spectral Realm enemies, Archons and
Reapers; these are agents of the Elder God and can drain Raziel's health.
Also, Raziel cannot feed on them, they merely fade away when defeated. It is
unknown what they were prior to becoming the Elder God's agents. Also, the
Sluagh have more hunchbacked and considerably more monstrous in appearance.
60. I really admire Raziel for holding out against the Elder God for so long.
In Material Realm time, he held out for 500 years. Imagine how long that is
in Spectral Realm time. However, 'Preacher' points out that the talks between
Kain and Moebius in the Stronghold suggest that Raziel was merely sent 500
years into the future (supported by the fact that the Elder God can create
time portals).
61. 'Defiance' is said three times in this game, all by the Elder God. 'What
do you profit from this defiance?' and 'You will find that just as defiance
has it's price, so obedience has it's reward' are said in 'Raziel in the
Underworld' and occasionally the Elder God says, 'This defiance is pointless'
whilst fighting Kain.
62. We see what Janos' powers are in this game. He can unleash telekinetic
shockwaves and projectiles, lightning from his hands and create tornadoes.
Also, what exactly are Janos' wings made out of if they can resist the Spirit
Reaver?
63. I'm slightly worried about the next game being too easy. Since Kain now
has this purified Soul Reaver, and if the next game follows the one weapon
system of this game, can anybody stop him? Perhaps, he will lose it in the
next game and it will be regained near the end of the game?
64. I'm also slightly worried about how easy it was for Kain to escape the
Demon Dimension. The Hylden took thousands of years to escape and Kain just
finds a portal leading out within 5 minutes. Some have theorised that either
the Binding only traps Hylden or that Kain escaped due to the weakening of
the Binding. 'marcus Luiz' points out that the Spirit Forge summoning *all
Balance Guardians* may have had something to do with it.
65. Moebius is now completely destroyed. Raziel has devoured his soul and
destroyed his corpse after shifting into it. But it is possible we shall be
seeing him again in an earlier time period.
66. The Hylden are no longer the wheezing old men in blue dresses and
loincloths in BO2. Instead, now they are hunchbacked and attired in Egyptian-
style clothing.
67. It is implied that the Ancients constructed Vorador's Mansion and Avernus
Cathedral since the warp gates to the Water and Earth Temples are within and
there are doors there only intended to be opened by the bearer of the Reaver.
However, several LOK fans have theorised that perhaps Avernus Cathedral was
built around the Earth Forge warp gate.
68. Even though Kain has the Reaver, he can't open the door in Avernus
Cathedral, which contains within the warp gate to the Earth Temple (there
isn't even an animation to show him attempting to open the door). He can't
reach any of the other doors. The Dark and Light Temple warp gates are in the
Cemetery which Kain never visits, the Fire Temple warp gate can only be
reached by climbing on a wall which isn't present in Kain's time era, the Air
Temple warp gate can only be reached by gliding and the Water Temple gate is
in Vorador's Mansion which Kain never visits in this game. Kain can't get to
the other side of the door either since the portals leading into the entrance
caves are inactive.
69. This is the only game with Raziel in it in which he doesn't say 'b****rd'
much to the disappointment of certain LOK fans.
70. Between the Sarafan Era and BO era, there have been some changes to the
area around the Pillars. The statue face that Kain destroys in order to get
the Dimension fragment is repaired by the time Raziel gets there 500 years
later, a lake that prevents Kain from getting to the Black Forest has dried
up and a statue near the gate with braziers has been destroyed. 'Damian'
points out whilst somebody has been good enough to repair a minor thing like
the Dimension fragment statue, no one bothered to repair the large building
structures west of the Pillars.
71. In the Spectral Realm, Kain's portrait in his Mausoleum has fangs! They
disappear if you're in the Material Realm however. Also, in the bottom right
corner is the signature of the game's artists Kory Heinzen and above the
portrait is 'Here lies Kain' in phonetic Futhark.
72. A deeper meaning behind Anarcrothe's line in BO, 'Stand with us,
Mortanius, or die' has been given. Seeing as the Circle was seduced by the
Hylden, the 'us' that Anarcrothe refers to is the Circle and the Hylden since
Mortanius was supporting the vampires.
73. If you move your TK reticule over a barrel, box or chair , Kain/Raziel
will levitate it! This is most quickly done at the very start of the game, if
you want to try it out. You can also direct where Kain/Raziel will throw it;
try this on an enemy!
74. When climbing out of Turel's pit as Raziel, before you reach the top, you
should see a little ledge behind Raziel. Jump off the wall and land on it.
Then shift into the Spectral Realm and jump to Mortanius' chamber. A glitch
will occur where you can see the cutscene between Raziel and Mortanius in the
Spectral Realm. ('Ardeth Silvereni' points out to me that this is not
necessarily a glitch since Amy Hennig confirmed that Mortanius could
transcend realms.)
75. I can understand the logic behind the blood pots (even though a pot of
blood exposed to the air would quickly clot...) but how exactly do those pots
of spiritual energy work?
76. We get a confirmation in this game that the Sluagh are indeed antagonists
to the Elder God seeing as he wants Raziel to destroy them. (As a side note,
the Sluagh have become more demonic in appearance than in previous games)
77. Raziel's eyes glow blue when he has devoured a soul and when he enters
the Material Realm plus various times in cutscenes when he is angry.
78. Some of the places where Raziel shifts into the Material Realm are
ridiculous. For example, why would a corpse be buried on top of a pillar? Or
on a second floor of a building?
79. The three spears in Vorador's Mansion; the Heart Seeker, the Blood
Drinker and the Soul Stealer, are symbolic of Raziel's three natures. As a
Sarafan, he ripped out Janos' heart; as a vampire, he drank the blood of his
victims and as a wraith, he devours the souls of his victims.
80. Kain's Bat Form marker is his clan symbol with bat wings attached.
81. The Hylden Lord's line, 'It is gratifying to attain both freedom and
vengeance in a single stroke' is similar to his line in BO2, 'What could be
more righteous than to take our revenge and your freedom from the same
source?
82. Raziel's upgrade containers bear a similarity to the relic he gained from
the Turelim guarding the Tomb of the Sarafan, which gave him the ability to
fire telekinetic projectiles.
83. Kain, when he first arrives at the Vampire Citadel, shows that he
believes that it is 'long abandoned'. Strangely, he makes no comment when he
combats dozens of feral humans throughout the 'long abandoned' citadel.
84. With the right camera angle, you can actually make Kain and Raziel, fire
a TK projectile at the screen.
85. The feral humans disappear from the Vampire Citadel and Reaver temples
for some reason in the five hundred years between the Sarafan and BO era.
Perhaps Kain killed them all?
86. Similarly, when Raziel is in the Vampire Citadel, there are Revenants,
Hylden and Demons amok. However, when Kain is there (in the BO era), merely a
few hours later at the most, there are none of them to be found.
87. Strangely, Raziel now has a light shining from his 'mouth' when he opens
his cowl. (Souls also are sucked towards Raziel before he's even fully opened
his cowl!) And even more strangely, he now appears to have enormous
difficulty in keeping his cowl open as you can see him visibly struggling to
keep it open.
88. On the door sealing the Oracle's chamber, take a look at the slot where
the Balance Emblem goes. There's a pattern there that is the same pattern of
the platform of the Pillars.
89. According to Crystal Dynamics, in a *very* early version of the story,
Raziel started in the Sarafan Stronghold.
90. Notice the irony in the only weapon that can kill Kain is the very thing
that purifies him.
91. 'marcus Luiz' pointed out to me that the Spirit Forge summoning 'every
Balance Guardian' would mean it summoned Kain as well. This lead me to
realise this was the reason behind Kain's inexplicable urge to return to the
Vampire Citadel.
92. For some reason, the Elder God's eyes have changed from the yellow-brown
colour in SR2 to the blue in this game.
93. Whilst the SR2 Reaver Forges were clearly meant by the Ancients to test
their saviour, the Defiance forges don't appear to have that intent.
94. In the Sarafan Stronghold, Kain returns a sword and shield to Malek's
statue. However, Malek never used a sword or a shield. In BO and SR2, we see
him use a pike.
95. Why didn't Kain already know the location of the Vampire Citadel? Surely
he had explored all of Nosgoth by the time of SR? Perhaps, some time in the
future it completely collapsed and was destroyed beyond recognition?
96. The demons, Shades, Cenobites and tentacles (Kain encounters tentacles in
the Vampire Citadel and Water Forge) are the only enemies that both Kain and
Raziel battle. The Sarafan and Feral Humans are exclusive to Kain and the
Spectral Realm enemies, Vampire Hunters and Revenants are exclusive to
Raziel.
97. Kain mocks humans about having a 'love of doors'. Doesn't Kain's Nosgoth
have several doors in it, back in SR?
98. I don't know if it's due to old age (probably not) but Kain was more
agile in BO2 than in this game (except during combat). For example, when Kain
was hanging on a ledge he hurled himself up quickly; however in this game, he
slowly climbs up. Also when he was knocked down in BO2, he flipped back up
whereas he slowly gets in this game. In comparison, Raziel has become more
agile in this game than in his previous games; he runs, climbs and dodges
faster and leaps to his feet whenever he's knocked down. I presume Crystal
Dynamics were creating a contrast between Kain and Raziel when doing this
(see also observation 108).
99. Since the Flame Emblem allows Kain to telekinetically ignite smouldering
sconces, theoretically could he do the same to his enemies?
100. Raziel now dodges using side rolls and backflips (careful with that
spine, Raz) rather than just sliding quickly across the ground. Kain uses
Mist Form to quickly move out of harm's reach; dodging attacks far more
quickly than the 'inhuman speed' Umah claimed Kain had in BO2.
101. What exactly is that image in the Elder God's eye whilst just before he
sets Raziel off to devour six souls to prove his loyalty? I can't quite make
it out. (N.B. I'm not talking about the eyes which indicate how many souls
Raziel has devoured)
102. If you enter a non-Dark Chronicle cutscene in a combat stance,
Kain/Raziel will hold the Reaver/Wraith Blade in their hand in the cutscene.
In some cutscenes, this will look strange e.g. when Raziel is folding his
arms or summoning the Wraith Blade.
103. For some reason, the Underworld appears to be brighter than the rest of
the Spectral Realm.
104. Kain can now move blocks sideways having been unable to do so in BO2.
However, Kain only moves *one* block in the entire game (to obtain Malek's
shield).
105. Correct me if I'm wrong, but the Vampire Huntress afraid to approach the
Pillars appears to have the same voice actress as the Red Raven Pub barwoman.
If this is so that both these NPCs are voiced by B.J. Ward, the only female
voice actress in both BO2 and Defiance (in the additional voices credits).
106. There are four types of Revenants in this game: Human, Vampire, Mutant
and Hylden. The Human Revenants are just the basic Revenants you encounter
throughout the game. The Vampire Revenants appear to be Hylden possessing the
corpses of Ancients judging from their clothing, wing bones, cloven hands and
feet. The Hylden Revenants have completely possessed their host and changed
their appearance into their true Hylden selves. There also appears to be a
kind of mutant Revenant which are humans which have been mutated into demon
like creatures with spikes upon them and your basic Vampire Hunter with
glowing green eyes, apparently Hylden taking over a living human host.
107. Are those green barriers, which the Revenants block Raziel's path with,
meant to be Glyph barriers? They don't damage Raziel if he walks into them
however.
108. Kain appears to be slower than Raziel normally; running and climbing
slower than him. However, in combat, Kain appears to be the faster one. Also,
Kain's combat skill is shown to be better than Raziel's as he welds the
Reaver in an unorthodox combat stance and uses the Reaver skilfully. Raziel
on the other hand uses wide, wild swings and spins in combat.
109. The shadow of Raziel's wings can be seen as he emerges from the ground
after shifting even though his wings are inside the corpse.
110. Raziel's comment of 'I knew one spirit haunted this place... perhaps
there were others, as well' appears to hint at the spirits of the Ancient
vampire Guardians later in the chapter.
111. Despite his size, the giant hammer Vampire Hunter still has a regular
sized soul.
112. Raziel can no longer use TK to push blocks. Attempting to do so, merely
results in the usual ripple effect with no effect on the block.
113. In the mural showing Vorador to be the first blood curse Vampire; the
other human figures in the mural are of certain Eidos Forum LOK fans. (Clue:
The 'Ben, Amber, Willow and Alex' mentioned in the Special Thanks section of
the Credits)
114. After completing a forge, the teleporter behind Raziel deactivates,
disallowing him from re-entering it. Kain on the other hand can re-enter any
forge he has access to.
115. Ariel now looks like a car crash victim and appears to have gained a
short torn cloak in this game.
116. Raziel appears to have a more confident and defiant attitude in this
game, folding his arms arrogantly at various points in the game.
117. Some (but not all) of the Feral Humans appear to have blood on the claws
attached to their hands.
118. One of the fountain room murals shows a Hylden being impaled and
bleeding green blood. But, as shown in BO2 and indeed in this game, the
Hylden have red blood. However, this image may be their soul, it's isn't
clear.
119. You probably haven't noticed this, as jumping down a hole is quicker
than climbing down, but if you make Raziel climb downwards, he appears to
slide down the wall.
120. As pointed out by someone on the Eidos Forums, Kain's family crest
appears on the door that locks Raziel in the Earth Forge warp gate cave. I'm
not sure whether this is a mistake or something intentional.
121. It is suggested that Avernus Cathedral was around at the time of the
Ancient-Hylden War due to the Hylden murals found in the Avernus Catacombs.
However, it is possible that the Hylden merely instructed the Cenobites to
paint them but I fail to see the reason.
122. I know it's simply so that you can get Kain into the Spirit Forge, but
what happened to the water in the corridor leading to it? 'Lost Soul'
theorises that when the water in the Spirit Forge drained out so did the
water in the corridor. However, notice that the water is still there after
Raziel leaves the Spirit Forge. Perhaps the water in the corridor took a
while to drain out?
123. Why exactly did Vorador light all those hundreds of candles around
Janos? Seeing as Janos has been dead for 500 years, it must have been a real
hassle to replace them all frequently.
124. How were the Light and Dark spirit vessels activated? We see when Kain
goes there that they have not been activated yet but somehow they are 500
years later. Update: Crystal Dynamics have said that they are only active in
the presence of Raziel.
125. In a nice bit of continuity, the Hylden speaking to Kain in the Demon
Realm have the same voices as two Hylden in BO2. (At the start of the Hylden
City chapter you can overhear a conversation between them)
126. Did you know that after Raziel enters the Avernus Catacombs, Sluagh no
longer appear in the Spectral Realm? As such, you cannot use the TK grip on
them unless you use a cheat device.
127. When Raziel returns to Vorador's Mansion, did you notice that there is
no BGM playing inside Vorador's Mansion now? Presumably, it's to create a
more ominous atmosphere.
128. How exactly did Moebius say, 'Now I have an execution to see to' whilst
in the middle and after teleporting to an unseen location?
129. With the exception of Kain and Raziel, you cannot TK throw any bosses.
Raziel doesn't have the ability to TK throw when he encounters the Ancient
Guardians and Turel, Janos/Hylden Lord can resist being thrown and I don't
know what Kain would be gripping if he tried to TK throw the Elder God.
130. Kain must have some super vision if he managed to see Moebius in the
Spirit Forge from all the way up there.
131. Why exactly are there *human* prisoners in the Sarafan Stronghold? Isn't
there a separate jurisdiction in Nosgoth to deal with these criminals?
132. Unlike BO, Kain can summon lightning indoors.
133. If you knock an ablaze enemy into water, he will be killed but will
still be burning underwater.
134. As pointed out to me by 'Ardeth Silvereni' on the Eidos Forums, in
Turel's pit near the climbable ledge, there is one undecayed female human
corpse amongst the piles of bones. Could this be the sacrifice that Turel
mistook Raziel for?
135. With the exception of the Death Guardian, all of the Ancient Vampire
Guardians' abilities make sense in context of which Pillar they were Guardian
of. The Conflict Guardian summons Shades to attack you, the Nature Guardian
summons tentacles to attack you, the Mind Guardian creates illusions of
himself, the Dimension Guardian teleports, the States Guardian changes
himself into a gaseous/plasma state, the Energy Guardian has an energy shield
but the Death Guardian propels himself spinning towards you. What does this
have to do with death?
137. Raziel's method gliding has been altered since previous games. He now
positions his body horizontally in a more streamlined way than in previous
games. Plus, when he approaches the ground, he positions his feet for
landing. (Also, the flapping sound effect when Raziel opened his wings has
been removed in this game)
138. On the second floor of the Earth Forge, there are Jump markers for Kain
to leap to the platform on the other side of the room. However, there is
nothing there to be found aside from two sconces that Kain can't utilise
anyway. Also, there is a TK switch near the ceiling of the room (you can see
it if you move the camera or use first person view) that does nothing when
activated. This switch is not present when Raziel visits the Earth Forge. Was
Kain originally intended to do more in the Earth Forge but was cut out of the
game?
139. For some reason, the bloodstains on Janos' corpse disappear after he is
resurrected. Also, his chest seems fully healed whereas in BO2 he had what
appeared to be stitches in his chest. (I'm uncertain about this however since
Janos' jacket covers most of his chest)
140. For me personally, the mood of certain cutscenes in the game was ruined
by the interruption of the loading screen of Raziel and Kain in action poses.
Such examples were Janos teleporting Raziel and himself to the Vampire
Citadel and Raziel fading away after being defeated by the Hylden Lord. I
understand that it was necessary to load the following location but I feel a
more appropriate image should have been used.
141. I'm rather interested in what Janos believed was in the Spirit Forge. He
claimed there was a test in there for Raziel; by passing it, Raziel would
gain the answers he sought and failing it, Janos implied, would mean Raziel's
demise.
142. During a playthrough, I noticed something rather interesting: a demon
seemed to be attacking the Hylden revenants! Thinking that perhaps it was an
accidental strike, I turned Raziel invisible but the demon continued to
attack the Hylden. I had gained the impression from Kain's scene in the Demon
Realm that the Hylden and Demons were allied. Perhaps more is going on than
we know?
143. After Raziel leaves the Spirit Forge, somehow the murals fall all the
way down the pit. I wonder whether this was due to the damage that the Elder
God had already caused to the room or whether it or Moebius intentionally
moved them down there.
144. Thanks to Kain, we know that the Elder God has green blood.
145. As shown by knocking a Hylden Revenant into water and their subsequent
death, Hylden are incapable of breathing underwater.
146. A soul/blood cannot be devoured from an enemy after they have been
impaled on a wall spike, drowned or (obviously) thrown off a cliff.
147. In this game, the Pillars' collapse clearly takes place during the day.
However, back in BO, the FMV showed that it was pitch black when Kain was
making his decision. Since there isn't actually a cutscene of Kain finalising
his decision, I have to presume that he took a long time debating the
decision (which is very possible).
148. Kain and Raziel can now feed whilst moving and/or whilst in mid-air.
149. Perhaps to solve the inconsistency of the colour of the attire of the
Sarafan in previous games, red and purple attired Sarafan appear in this game
along with a new green attire.
150. Vorador's mansion has undergone a transformation from its appearance in
BO. It's gained a courtyard and the interior has changed radically (although
the style of carpets, wall designs and painting remain consistent)
151. Unlike in SR and SR2, you cannot move the camera whilst shifting realms
(which was a great disappointment to some LOK fans). Instead, the camera
focuses in on Raziel. As such, you can't really see much of the world
shifting as you change realms as you could in previous games.
152. Kain's comment of Raziel being 500 years 'beyond' his reach seems a
little odd to me. Kain had been following Raziel through time easily
throughout SR2 yet claims to be unable to now.
153. During the cutscene when Raziel gains the Spirit Reaver, why is Raziel
shown to have the Earth Reaver rather than the Spirit Reaver after absorbing
Ariel? People watching that scene for the first time will incorrectly assume
the Spirit Reaver is green (as I did).
154. Only the red fire and grey electric Demons are in this game.
155. This is the first game to show the title of the game during the course
of the actual game. (And to mention Eidos and Crystal Dynamics)
156. This is also the first game to have subtitles. (Which would've
beneficial in BO2 where there were often scenes where background noise was
louder than the dialogue being spoken)
157. How exactly does the Balance Emblem work? Does Kain have to attach it to
the Reaver or just have it on him for the Reaver enhancements to work?
158. Vorador made a load of fancy hand gestures to open the door leading to
Janos' crypt but later in the game Raziel just shoves the Wraith Blade into
the door to open it.
159. In the murals 'The Human Guardians Revolt', above the middle mural are
the symbols of the Balance, Conflict and Death Pillars. I wonder if there's
any significance to this.
160. I wonder whether it was the Vampire Hunters who destroyed the mansion or
whether Vorador's death caused its destruction just as Janos' death destroyed
his Aerie.
161. How exactly did activating the Spirit Forge harm the Elder God? (He
screams every time you insert each particular Reaver enhancement into those
pedestals)
162. Did you notice how, in the Spirit Forge, Raziel activates opposing
elements? (Dark and Light, Water and Fire then Wind and Earth)
163. The Hylden Lord managed to fly away in Janos' body despite Janos' wings
being burnt.
164. Moebius was confident that the Elder God would resurrect but I've got to
wonder about the practicalities of this. He's got a stab wound in his chest
and has lost litres of blood. Wouldn't he just die as soon as he was
resurrected?
165. For some reason, Moebius' corpse appears in the Spectral Realm instead
of ethereal gases.
167. The sound effect for the Dark Reaver spell is reused from Marcus turning
invisible in BO2.
168. For those of you incredulous that Raziel could be equal to Kain in this
game, consider that Kain had breathed a portion of his soul into his
lieutenants. After absorbing the souls of his brethren added with his own
soul, wouldn't that mean that Raziel would virtually 'have' Kain's soul?
169. In this game, the blue streaking lines across Raziel which signify
Raziel's material body is growing weak do not appear.
#######################################################
8. Questions and Answer Section
#######################################################
###########################
i) General Series Questions
###########################
1) How do you defeat the Unspoken/defeat Kain/activate the Fire Forge/use
Dark Gifts/use Reaver Spells etc?
A: This isn't a gameplay FAQ so please don't send me questions like these.
If you're having trouble with a game, seek out a FAQ on GameFAQs, Neoseeker
or IGN or post your problem on one of the message boards mentioned in
question 3 below.
2) What Legacy of Kain websites do you recommend?
A:
- The Official Legacy of Kain website <www.legacyofkain.com>
For obvious reasons.
- Nosgothic Realm <www.nosgoth.net>
One of the best fan created LOK sites. Contains scripts, maps, concept
images, credits and more of all 5 LOK games.
- Dark Chronicle <www.dark-chronicle.co.uk>
An encyclopaedia of the whole series.
- The Lost Worlds <www.thelostworlds.net>
Contains basically everything you want to know about the deleted material of
the LOK series. Run by one of the greatest LOK fans, blincoln. (Currently has
no Defiance deleted material but has excellent Defiance Q&As from Amy Hennig
and Jen Fernandez, Richard Lemarchand and Kyle Mannerberg)
- LOK Music.com <www.lokmusic.com>
Has MP3s for the music in BO, BO2, SR and SR2. However, does not have music
for Defiance (most tracks are reused from old games anyway), does not have
Ozar Midrashim and only has four tracks from BO.
- Time Streamer <portal.wraithatlantis.co.uk>
Another great site. Contains LOK screenshots, sprites and fan works.
- Legacy of Kain Voice Sessions <users.lichtsnel.nl/~nldp/defiance>
The PAL versions of SR2 and Defiance had voice sessions and outtakes cut out
of them to make room on the disc for European languages. They were also not
present on PC versions of the game. Now, thanks to this site, LOK fans in PAL
regions and PC players can watch them.
Also, check out the Legacy of Kain webring on the Official Website
<www.legacyofkain.com> for more fansites.
3) Where can I talk to other LOK fans?
A: Try: -
- The Eidos forums <forums.eidosgames.com>
- The GameFAQs message boards <www.gamefaqs.com>
- The Wolf Realm's LOK forum <pub111.ezboard.com/fwolfsrealmfrm38>
- The Legacy of Kain.net forums <forums.legacyofkain.net>
- The Nosgothic Realm forums <http://pub6.ezboard.com/bnosgoth.html>
- The Time Streamer forum <www.wraithatlantis.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.cgi>
4) How can I contact Crystal Dynamics?
A: Your best bet is to contact Test Manager of Crystal Dynamics, Chris
Bruno/Butterfly. He's been with the series from the start and had contact
with Amy Hennig. Also, he regularly talks to the members of the Eidos Forums.
You can contact him by e-mailing him <cbruno@crystald.com> or by signing up
to the Eidos Forums and sending him a Private Message.
N.B. Please have respect and do not spam poor Chris.
As a corollary, Amy Hennig has said that she and other members of Crystal
Dynamics read the Eidos Forums, GameFAQs forums and Nosgothic Realm forums
regularly (but do not actively participate in them).
5). Who does the voice acting for the games?
A:
Ordered by game: -
Blood Omen: Legacy Of Kain
Kain Simon Templeman
Ariel Anna Gunn
Nupraptor the Mentalist Richard Doyle
Malek the Paladin Neil Ross
Bane the Druid Paul Lukather
Dejoule the Energist Anna Gunn
Azimuth the Planar Anna Gunn
Moebius the Timestreamer Richard Doyle
Anarcrothe the Alchemist Richard Doyle
Mortanius the Necromancer Tony Jay
Vorador Paul Lukather
King Ottmar Neil Ross
Elzevir the Dollmaker Neil Ross
William the Just/Nemesis Tony Jay
Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver
Raziel Michael Bell
Kain Simon Templeman
The Elder God Tony Jay
Ariel Anna Gunn
Melchiah Michael Bell
Zephon Tony Jay
Rahab Neil Ross
Dumah Simon Templeman
Tomb Guardian Richard Doyle
Moebius the Timestreamer Richard Doyle
Soul Reaver 2 -The Legacy Of Kain Series-
Raziel Michael Bell
Kain Simon Templeman
Moebius the Timestreamer Richard Doyle
The Elder God Tony Jay
Vorador Paul Lukather
Ariel Anna Gunn
Janos Audron Rene Auberjonois
Sarafan Raziel Michael Bell
Sarafan Turel Richard Doyle
Blood Omen 2 -The Legacy Of Kain Series-
Kain Simon Templeman
The Sarafan Lord Earl Boen
Umah Liz Ward-Land
Vorador Paul Lukather
Faustus Phillip Proctor
Marcus Nick Guest
Sebastian Nick Jameson
Magnus Rodger Bumpass
The Bishop Al Laurie
The Seer Liz Ward-Land
The Beast/Janos Audron Rene Auberjonois
Legacy of Kain: Defiance
Kain Simon Templeman
Raziel Michael Bell
Moebius the Timestreamer Richard Doyle
The Elder God/The Oracle Tony Jay
Ariel Anna Gunn
Vorador Paul Lukather
Janos Audron Rene Auberjonois
Mortanius the Necromancer Alastair Duncan
Turel Gregg Berger
Ordered by voice actor: -
Simon Templeman Kain, Dumah (SR)
Michael Bell Raziel, Melchiah (SR),
Richard Doyle Moebius, Nupraptor, Anarcrothe, Tomb Guardian
Tony Jay Mortanius (BO), William, Elder God, Zephon (SR)
Anna Gunn Ariel, Dejoule, Azimuth
Paul Lukather Vorador, Bane
Neil Ross Malek (BO), Rahab (SR), Ottmar, Elzevir
Rene Auberjonois Janos, The Beast
Earl Boen The Sarafan Lord
Liz Ward-Land Umah, The Seer
Phillip Proctor Faustus
Nick Guest Marcus
Nick Jameson Sebastian
Rodger Bumpass Magnus
Al Laurie The Bishop
Alastair Duncan Mortanius (Defiance)
Gregg Berger Turel (Defiance)
BJ Ward, Frank Welker and Jane Carr have been purely credited as doing
'Additional Voices'.
I saw Richard Doyle doing Sarafan Turel's voice in the SR2 outtakes (Look at
his black heart! How still it beats!) but I have no idea who did the voices
of the rest of the Sarafan. They sound nothing like their future vampire
incarnations. I also don't know who did the voices of the Builder (He has
more lines than the Bishop and yet was not credited!), Irmok the Mad, the Red
Raven Pub tapster, the Ancient vampire Guardians and various other NPCs.
6) What else have the LOK voice actors done?
A: You can very easily come across the LOK voice actors in other media. These
people (aside from Liz Ward Land and Al Laurie) have been in many TV shows,
movies, video games etc. that it is impossible to name them all here.
So, go to <www.imdb.com> and run a search on their names. Go ahead; you may
be surprised by what you find.
N.B.: Although IMDB is very comprehensive; it appears that they don't
thoroughly check their information. Prior to the release of Defiance, we had
some prankster submitting false information to IMDB such as Mr. T voicing
Turel, Amy Hennig voicing a character called 'Madame Death', Pee Wee Herman
voicing 'The Sluagh King' and some other people voicing 'Lord Bain' and 'Lord
Sarafan'.
7) Where is Nosgoth?
A: I would have thought it was obvious that it's a fictional place but
apparently not. The European accents of the characters have led some fans to
believe that it's somewhere in Europe. Now quite frankly I wouldn't like, as
I'm sure other European LOK fans like me, Raziel or Kain knocking on my door
then impaling me with the Reaver. I'm also fairly sure that we'd notice
vampires, Hylden, sorcerers, giant octopi and demons running around
everywhere.
It's simply an isolated fictional location in a parallel universe.
8) Who is Amy Hennig?
A: She is a being mightier than Kain. Bow down before her, puny mortals!
9) Where can I read the scripts of the games?
A: Nosgothic Realm has detailed scripts of BO, SR and Defiance, and Dark
Chronicle has detailed scripts of SR2, BO2 and Defiance. GameFAQs also has
scripts on its FAQ pages for each game except for Defiance (only has a Dark
Chronicle script).
10) I'm confused, Blood Reaver? Soul Reaver? Wraith Blade? Which is which?
A:
The (Blood) Reaver - A sword forged by Vorador and infused with vampiric
energy by the Ancients, which allows it to suck blood from its enemies. The
prophesied weapon of the Vampire Saviour and Scion of Balance. ('Blood'
Reaver is a fan name created to avoid confusion and is not called as such in
the games)
-Enhanced by: The Balance Emblem and its Flame, Dimension, Lightning and Time
fragments; Raziel's soul
-Seen in: SR2, Defiance
The Soul Reaver - A sword created when the soul of Raziel was absorbed into
the Reaver; Raziel's soul devouring nature allows the Reaver to now devour
the souls of its enemies.
-Seen in: BO, SR, SR2, BO2, Defiance
The Wraith Blade - A band of spectral energy formed when the Soul Reaver was
broken on Raziel by Kain and joined to Raziel's arm. It is essentially
Raziel's soul after thousands of years of imprisonment in the Soul Reaver.
Like the Soul Reaver, it devours the souls of its victims but only following
its convergence with the Soul Reaver in the Sarafan Stronghold. It was
purified when Raziel absorbed the energy of the purified Balance Guardians in
the Spirit Forge. Its purifying energy was used to heal Kain of his
corruption (given to him by Nupraptor).
Enhanced by: Elemental Dark, Light, Air, Fire, Water, Earth and Spirit
forges.
-Seen in: SR, SR2, Defiance
11) What going on with all the timeline changes, vertigo, conjoined Soul
Reavers, etc?
A: As Kain explains in SR2, history has already been prewritten. Everybody
has no choice but to follow its path. However, there is an exception. When
two identical bodies meet in time and space, a temporal distortion is
created. Whenever this happens, one is able to change history. So far this
temporal distortion has happened four times in the LOK Series.
The first is when William the Just and Kain battle. Both of them are armed
with the Soul Reaver. So a temporal distortion is created, therefore allowing
Kain to change history by killing William.
The second is during 'Chapter Two - The Reaver Convergence' of SR2. When
Raziel holds both the wraith blade and the Soul Reaver together in his hands,
a temporal distortion is created. This is why Moebius is so afraid of Raziel
at this moment. Raziel has the chance to change history by killing Moebius
because of the temporal distortion. Raziel unknowingly decides to follow the
path of history and not kill Moebius much to his relief.
The third time is when Kain and Raziel meet in William's chapel. Raziel was
meant to kill Kain right then and there but Raziel, holding both the wraith
blade and Soul Reaver, changed history by impaling the Reavers in William's
sarcophagus instead of Kain.
The fourth time is when Raziel is being absorbed into the Reaver. When
Raziel's soul is both inside and outside the Soul Reaver, the temporal
distortion is set off again, allowing Kain to pull the Reaver out of Raziel.
Remember, Kain was supposed to be dead at this point and unable to save
Raziel. However, Raziel still has the wraith blade around his arm when he
slips into the Spectral Realm, which means that Raziel will still be absorbed
into the Reaver at a later time in history.
Whenever somebody defies the flow of history, history is forced to reshuffle
itself to fit around the change. However, if it cannot do this, history will
simply expel the person, who made the change, from history all together.
However, events in Defiance imply that it is not any two identical bodies
that are required to cause a temporal distortion but two identical copies of
Raziel's soul due to his free will. In all four cases above, Raziel's soul
met itself and this caused a temporal distortion. This theory is reinforced
by the fact that in BO2, when Kain met Janos there were two Heart of
Darknesses present but no temporal distortion.
'Sol Ace 1' asks why there isn't a temporal distortion when Raziel first
meets the spirit of the Soul Reaver (his own soul) in the Sanctuary of the
Clans. The reason for this is that Raziel's soul changes to the Wraith Blade
when it enters the Soul Reaver. So at that moment Raziel's soul and the
Wraith Blade are no longer identical.
All the above cases involve in Wraith Blade whether on Raziel's arm or inside
the Reaver meeting each other. Raziel and the Soul Reaver/Wraith Blade
meeting does not create a temporal distortion.
12) Why do Kain and Raziel talk to themselves?
A: They are not. They are performing a soliloquy, a technique used often in
Shakespeare to convey a character's thoughts.
13) What is the order of the games?
A: Release Order: -
1. Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (1996)
2. Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (1999)
3. Soul Reaver 2 -The Legacy of Kain Series- (2001)
4. Blood Omen 2 -The Legacy of Kain Series- (2002)
5. Legacy of Kain: Defiance (2003)
Chronological Order: -
- Age of the Sarafan: 3rd part of SR2 and Kain's 1st Part of Defiance
- Age of William the Just: 2nd part of BO (450 years later)
- Corruption of the Pillars: 1st part of SR2 (20 years later)
- Main parts of BO and Raziel's part/Kain's 2nd part of Defiance (30 years
later)
- 2nd part of SR2 (100 years later)
- BO2 (300 years later)
- SR (1100+ years later)
It is strongly advised that you DO NOT play the games in chronological order
for obvious reasons.
(Note: My apologies. I've had e-mails telling me that they don't understand
what I mean by 1st part, 2nd part, etc. In BO and SR2, Kain and Raziel travel
through time and so, for example, in BO, Kain travels back in time from the
1st part of BO to the 2nd which is 50 years earlier)
14) What order should I play the games in?
A:
1- Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain (To begin the story with minimal confusion)
2- Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (To begin the SR arc of the story)
3- Soul Reaver 2 -The Legacy of Kain Series- (To continue the SR arc of the
story)
4- Legacy of Kain: Defiance (To finish the SR arc of the story)
5- Blood Omen 2 -The Legacy of Kain Series- (To see how SR2 and Defiance have
altered Nosgoth's history)
The reason why BO2 is played last is that the events in Soul Reaver 2 and
Defiance change the timeline so that Blood Omen 2 can exist. The events of
BO2 wouldn't have occurred if Kain and Raziel hadn't changed the timeline in
SR2 and Defiance.
(N.B. A future game which explains Vorador's appearance in BO2 should be
placed between Defiance and BO2.)
Some people say that you need to play BO2 before Defiance otherwise you will
not understand what happens in the scene where Janos is possessed. Actually,
with careful observation you can easily infer that a rift is caused following
the Pillars' collapse, which allows the Hylden Lord to escape and possess
Janos.
On the other hand, there is little or nothing in BO2, which allows us to
infer how Janos and Vorador appear in that game when they were killed 900 and
400 years ago, respectively.
15) Why do you call it the Blood Reaver? It's never called that in the games.
A: The Test Manager of Crystal Dynamics, Christopher Bruno a.k.a. Christopher
Butterfly (Look for his name in your instruction manuals) calls it this.
Also, it called that in the SR2 and Defiance Debug Menus. (Find out how to
access them on The Lost Worlds site)
It has never been called the Blood Reaver within the games' plot. As such, I
never refer to it as that in the plot summaries. But, I still call it the
'Blood Reaver' within other sections in order to avoid confusion.
16) Will a LOK movie ever be released?
A: I honestly don't know but I hope not considering the mediocre video game
movies out there already. If they do make one, here's hoping that it's a CGI
movie and not a live action one (*Cringe*).
It is normally the mainstream video games that get converted to movies but
unfortunately, Legacy of Kain isn't that well known amongst video games
players. (So, go and tell all your friends about it!)
17) What is the journey of the Soul Reaver?
A: WARNING! Knowledge and understanding of Kain's/Raziel's time travelling is
needed before reading this to avoid confusion.
First, the Ancients learnt from prophecy that their saviour would wield the
Reaver. Hence, Vorador forges the Blood Reaver at the request of his master
Janos Audron and the Ancients infuse it with vampiric energy so that it
drains the blood of its victims. It is entrusted to Janos Audron who hangs on
to it throughout the Ancient-Hylden war, Hylden Banishment, Human Revolt and
Sarafan Crusade.
Janos meets Raziel and prepares to give the Blood Reaver to him but Janos is
killed and the Blood Reaver is stolen by the Sarafan. Moebius 'hides' the
Blood Reaver in a room in the Sarafan Stronghold, where Raziel finds it,
picks it up and threatens Moebius with it. Moebius escapes and Raziel
proceeds to kill the Sarafan inquisitors with it. Raziel's wraith blade then
takes control of the Blood Reaver and the wraith blade begins sucks Raziel's
soul into the Blood Reaver thus it becomes the Soul Reaver.
About 450 years later Moebius gives it to William the Just. William battles
Kain who also has a Soul Reaver. Kain kills William and William's Soul Reaver
breaks into two pieces. William and the Soul Reaver are moved to the Sarafan
Stronghold.
Twenty years later, Raziel stumbles across the broken blade. The Wraith Blade
uses Raziel's energy to fix the blade. Raziel later kills Kain with it and
leaves it in the Stronghold.
Someone (probably Moebius) moves the Soul Reaver to Avernus Cathedral, where
Kain finds it thirty years later. Kain goes back in time and kills William
with it. Kain returns to his own time and holds onto the Soul Reaver.
Kain holds on to the Soul Reaver throughout his damnation of Nosgoth, revival
of the Sarafan into vampires, conquest and rule of Nosgoth and execution of
Raziel. Raziel returns from the Abyss and battles Kain. Kain strikes Raziel
with the Soul Reaver and it shatters into pieces. Raziel goes into the
Spectral Realm and sees the spirit of the Soul Reaver, unaware that it is his
own. He binds his arm with it and it becomes a wraith blade on his arm.
Raziel chases Kain back through time. In the past he fixes the broken Soul
Reaver and changes history by not killing Kain. Because he did not kill Kain,
Kain is able to prevent Raziel being sucked into the Reaver. Kain claims the
Blood Reaver for himself and Raziel still has the wraith blade on his arm.
Five hundred years later, the Wraith Blade is purified in Spirit Forge and
Raziel uses it heal Kain of Nupraptor's corruption.
Presumably after Kain has completed his destiny, somehow it gets into the
hands of William the Just so that history can continue.
However, two hundred years after the damnation of the Pillars, the younger
Kain is defeated in battle with the Sarafan Lord and put into a coma. The
Sarafan Lord claims the Soul Reaver for himself. Two hundred years after
that, Kain awakens from his coma and in a battle with the Sarafan Lord,
reclaims the Soul Reaver and kills him with it. From here continue history to
SR.
18) How are vampires created?
A: There are two ways blood curse and necromancy.
The Ancients, before the blood thirst was cast on them, reproduced in order
to increase their numbers. The blood thirst made them unable to reproduce and
they were forced to inflict the blood curse upon humans in order to avoid the
extinction of vampires (as many of them were committing suicide). According
to Vorador, passing on the blood curse expends a lot of energy and takes
time.
Now, Kain is different. Mortanius used necromancy (and the Heart of Darkness)
to resurrect Kain's body as a vampire. When Kain resurrected the Sarafan, he
'breathed' part of his soul into the corpses in order to resurrect them
(presumably his soul 'grows' back). For some unknown reason, he is unable to
pass the blood curse.
'Sol Ace 1' suggests 'he can't pass it on because it was never actually
passed on to him'.
19) What are the Pillars of Nosgoth?
A: There are nine Pillars: -
- The Pillar of the Mind
- The Pillar of Dimension
- The Pillar of Conflict
- The Pillar of Nature
- The Pillar of Energy
- The Pillar of Time
- The Pillar of States
- The Pillar of Death
- The Pillar of Balance
These are protected by their respective guardians. They preserve the health
of Nosgoth, which is why Nosgoth is so decrepit and lifeless by the time of
Soul Reaver.
(You have to wonder though, how did Nosgoth survive prior to the Pillars'
construction. 'Sol Ace 1' suggests Nosgoth became uninhabitable after the
Ancient Hylden War and the Pillars healed it.)
If a guardian becomes mentally corrupted then so does their respective
Pillar. The Pillar can be restored if the Guardian is killed and their
binding item is returned to the Pillar.
The Pillars were made by the Ancients as the lock that kept the Hylden
trapped in the Demon Dimension. However, the existence of vampires is needed
to sustain the Binding. As vampires began to die out due to vampire purges,
some Hylden were able to possess beings both dead (Revenants) and alive
(Mortanius, Turel etc.).
Once Kain made his decision to damn Nosgoth, a rift was created that
destroyed the Binding and allowed the Hylden Lord to escape.
20) How long was/is the series supposed to go on for?
A: Judging from the ending, Blood Omen was intended to be a stand-alone game.
Soul Reaver was intended to end but the deadline forced them to cut out the
original ending and create a new, cliffhanger ending. Soul Reaver 2 also had
the last parts of its story changed because of time restraints. It has been
confirmed by Crystal Dynamics that the series will continue beyond Defiance.
21) What are the weaknesses of vampires?
A: Vampires are harmed by sunlight, water (burns them like acid), fire,
impalation and Glyph magic. Older vampires are not harmed by sunlight and
small volumes of water e.g. rain, snow.
Also, their hearts are affected with excruciating pain by Moebius' staff and
not drinking blood for long periods leads to severe weakness and loss of
abilities.
22) What are the Balance Guardian's powers?
A: It's not actually said anywhere what exactly the Balance Guardian can do
except to regulate the powers of the other Guardians.
Ariel is said to have been once a powerful sorceress however.
23) How did Kain stay in broad sunlight in BO2 at the end of the game?
How did Kain and his lieutenants stand near the Abyss in broad sunlight?
How did (name of other vampire) stay in (place with abundant sunlight)
without being burnt alive?
A: This is easily explained. Older vampires gain immunity to sunlight and can
prevent being burnt. Only newly born vampires are harmed by sunlight. And
note that in BO, Kain wasn't harmed by sunlight at all, he was just weaker
than he would normally be.
Additionally, the SR instruction booklet tells us that by the time of SR,
Kain had ordered for the Nosgothic skies to be filled with smoke in order to
protect vampires from it. This is proven by, well, just by looking at the
sky. See how cloudy it is?
Of course Rahab is the exception to this. It's explained in SR, that he and
his children had an extreme vulnerability to sunlight so they retreated to
deep within the Drowned Abbey where it is dark.
24) Which is the Hylden/Sarafan Lord/Unspoken's true form?
A: His appearance in BO2 is his true form as proven by Janos' line, 'I see
you have taken your true form at last!' and because he *looks like a Hylden*.
Crystal Dynamics have said his appearance at the end of BO was a malformation
of Mortanius' body. This is proven if you attack chained prisoners in
Defiance, when Raziel comes back to Vorador's Mansion, they are possessed by
Hylden and suddenly mutate into monstrous beings. This may also occur
randomly with Vampire Hunters in a waver state at that point in the game.
25) What's at the top/bottom of the Pillars?
A: Crystal Dynamics have said that the Pillars go infinitely in the sky and
ground (except after their collapse, of course).
Must've been a real hassle to build.
26) Is the stone in Moebius' Staff, the Nexus Stone?
A: Unlikely as it does not harm vampires i.e. Kain and Umah, who put it
*right next* to their hearts, when they wear it.
Plus, Moebius' staff was buried under the rubble of the Spirit Forge when it
collapsed, making it extremely difficult for someone to retrieve it.
27) How do vampires wash themselves if water is harmful to them?
A: Who says they do wash? I'm serious.
Nosgoth looks like it's set in a 15/16th century-esque age. Back then, very
few people washed regularly. (You probably wouldn't want to, considering the
water quality back then anyway.) With the exception of two bathtubs in BO2, I
don't remember seeing a single bathroom in Nosgoth anyway. (Correct me if I'm
wrong.)
28) Can you list everyone who has been a Pillar Guardian, in order?
A:
Mind Guardian: Original vampire Mind Guardian, (any possible number of
Guardians), Mind Guardian killed by Vorador, Nupraptor
Dimension Guardian: Original vampire Dimension Guardian, (any possible number
of Guardians), Dimension Guardian killed by Vorador, Azimuth
Conflict Guardian: Original vampire Conflict Guardian, (any possible number
of Guardians), Malek
Nature Guardian: Original vampire Nature Guardian, (any possible number of
Guardians), Nature Guardian killed by Vorador, Bane
Energy Guardian: Original vampire Energy Guardian, (any possible number of
Guardians), Energy Guardian killed by Vorador, Dejoule
Time Guardian: Original vampire Time Guardian, Moebius
States Guardian: Original vampire States Guardian, (any possible number of
Guardians), States Guardian killed by Vorador, Anarcrothe
Death Guardian: Original vampire Death Guardian, Mortanius
Balance Guardian: Original vampire Balance Guardian, (any possible number of
Guardians), Balance Guardian killed by Vorador, Ariel, Kain
Where I have placed '(any possible number of Guardians)' is where it is
unknown whether the next named Guardian was previous named Guardian's
successor. Also, a 'Guardian' can be either vampire or human.
Mortanius and Moebius are likely to be the successors of the original vampire
Death and Time Guardians was we know they started the human rebellion (having
seen their fellow Guardians be turned to vampires). However, there is still a
chance that there were Guardians (of their Pillar) born before them and after
the original vampire Guardians.
'Tom T. Thomson' and 'Archon Shiva' point out that, according to Moebius,
Malek allowed no member of the Circle to fall after Vorador's massacre.
And finally, yes I know, you smart alecs that Kain technically didn't 'guard'
the Balance Pillar but he's still the Balance Guardian nonetheless.
29) Is it only Janos' Heart that restores vampiric unlife or can it be the
heart of any Ancient?
A: Very good question; I would have to assume that it would be the heart of
any Ancient that can resurrect vampires since Janos didn't seem to be any
different from a regular Ancient (he wasn't a true Guardian).
30) What does the title of each game refer to?
A: With Blood Omen, I would assume that it refers to the opening text of the
game, where there is an omen written in blood.
It's the same with Blood Omen 2, although it doesn't appear to be written in
blood and it isn't really an omen.
I think Soul Reaver and Soul Reaver 2 are rather obvious; both games are
centred on the Soul Reaver and the Reaver of Souls (Raziel).
Defiance refers to Kain and Raziel's attempts to defy their fates and the
Elder God's various lines containing the word 'defiance'.
31) Aside from the games, what LOK-related stuff is there?
A: There have been comics of SR and Defiance and LOK action figures.
Look on this page for more information -
<http://www.thelostworlds.net/Library.HTML>
32) What colour is Raziel?
A: Raziel is blue. Some people think he's purple but he is blue. The evidence
for this is that Moebius calls Raziel his 'little blue assassin', when Raziel
sees a mural of an Ancient he says it has 'blue skin and cloven hands so like
my own' and the SR2 Dark Chronicle actually says he has blue skin.
33) If Silicon Knights retained LOK, would they've made a sequel to BO?
A: I honestly don't know. BO was intended to be a stand-alone game, that much
I do know. Whether they would've decided to make one later, I don't know.
They had said on their Official BO website (which was last updated in 1997)
that 'It is not clear at this time whether Silicon Knights will do a sequel
to Kain'.
34) Which Pillar is which?
A: The Pillars from left to right are: -
- The Pillar of the Mind
- The Pillar of Dimension
- The Pillar of Conflict
- The Pillar of Nature
- The Pillar of Balance (Slightly in front of its neighbouring Pillars)
- The Pillar of Energy
- The Pillar of Time
- The Pillar of States
- The Pillar of Death
35) If Kain doesn't have free will, why then can you choose to kill or not to
kill the people you encounter in the games?
A: Because it's just a game. It doesn't matter whether or not *you* decide to
kill that innocent human because his/her death isn't plot-related.
36) Why do people refer to Kain's choice at the Pillar's as a 'choice' as
clearly it wasn't since he doesn't have free will?
A: The people who do this are either not aware of fate controlling everything
or manipulating Raziel and incensing him against Kain.
37) What's the difference between the Demon Dimension and the Demon Realm?
You refer to both in this Plot Guide.
A: No difference. They're just different names for the same place - the exile
that the Ancients banished the Hylden to. It's referred to as the Demon
Dimension in BO2 and it's referred to as the Demon Realm in Defiance.
38) Why doesn't Kain go back in time and inform his younger self of the third
option?
A: Because Kain doesn't want to risk altering time anymore than he has to,
ensuring he doesn't cause a fatal paradox. Besides, Kain discovered the third
option on his own anyway, so there is no need to inform his younger self and
besides his younger self probably wouldn't have trusted him.
39) Why didn't Kain create new vampire Guardians for the Pillars after BO?
A: Because the Pillars have all collapsed and are unable to summon new
Guardians until Balance is restored.
40) Is Ariel omnipresent?
A: Unlikely seeing as she doesn't foresee Kain's decision and doesn't
recognise Raziel any of the times she meets him (aside from the Spirit
Forge).
41) Hey, your release date for (any LOK game) is wrong!
A: My apologies. Aside from Defiance, I really don't know when any of them
were released for certain since I only got Defiance and SR2 on release day
(and I don't remember SR2's exact release date).
If any of them are wrong, please feel free to e-mail me along with some
evidence of the release date.
42) Technically, shouldn't Kain no longer be the Balance Guardian since he
was killed (as a human)?
A: When Kain was killed, the Pillars were corrupted and unable to summon new
Guardians. Hence no new Guardian was summoned when he (or the other eight
Guardians killed in BO, for that matter) was killed.
Also Mortanius, as the Death Guardian, probably had some hand in preventing
Kain's soul from returning to the Balance Pillar.
43) Where can I see the credits for the games?
A: Either finish the games, look in the back of the instruction manuals or
look at the credits sections of the games on Nosgothic Realm.
44) Why can't Raziel use his elemental Wraith Blades in the Spectral Realm?
A: Probably because the elements don't exist in the Spectral Realm. As you've
very probably noticed, in the Spectral Realm, light considerably dims, air
vents no longer work, fire changes colour to blue and water is non existent.
45) Why did Vorador go green and grow bat ears?
A: Due to evolution, same as every other vampire in LOK.
46) Did the Ancients know that the Blood Reaver would become the Soul Reaver?
A: I don't think so. Janos is shocked when Raziel shows him the Wraith Blade
and none of the murals in SR2 or Defiance hint that the Reaver can devour
souls.
47) Why aren't the Hylden in SR if it was Kain's decision that allowed them
to escape?
A: We learn from Janos in BO2 that without the Hylden Gate, a link to the
Demon Dimension, the Hylden will die. The Hylden Gate was created by the
Hylden Lord with the Nexus Stone whilst he was possessing Janos' body.
In the pre SR2/Defiance altered timeline, Raziel had not resurrected Janos
and hence even though the Hylden Lord was able to escape the Demon Dimension
via the rift caused by Kain's decision without a strong host to possess, he
probably died. (The Hylden Lord claimed that mortals were fragile vessels)
In the altered timeline, Janos was alive and was the only strong enough host
able to sustain itself under the Hylden Lord's possession. (Additionally, the
Hylden Lord needed the blood of an Ancient to feed the Mass and hence power
the Device. That way he killed two birds with one stone.) With a durable
enough host, the Hylden Lord was then capable of creating the Hylden Gate,
which allowed him and the other Hylden to survive now in Nosgoth without
having to possess someone.
Since Janos wasn't alive in the pre SR2/Defiance timeline, none of the above
could've happened and hence this is the reason why there are no Hylden in SR.
48) Is the burning city with the cathedral spelt Avernus or Abernus?
A: It's Avernus. The BO map's font makes the 'v' in Avernus look like a 'b'.
Besides in Defiance, the Dark Chronicle titles and the subtitles clearly show
it spelt as Avernus.
49) When you say 'Crystal Dynamics/Amy Hennig has said', what are you
referring to?
A: I'm referring to interviews and Q&As with Amy Hennig or other members of
the LOK team which can be found on the Eidos Forum LOK Archive or the Lost
Worlds site.
##############################
ii) Blood Omen: Legacy Of Kain
##############################
1) Is Mortanius evil?
A: No, he is attempting to redeem his mistakes. In Defiance, we find out that
he and Moebius began the Sarafan crusade to exterminate the vampires but when
he realised that vampires sustained the Binding that kept the Hylden
imprisoned, he saw the error of his ways.
Then the Unspoken/Hylden Lord possessed him and controlled him to kill Ariel.
Mortanius is trying to undo the damage he has caused, by resurrecting Kain to
create a new, pure Circle of Nine to replace the current, corrupted one and
hence restore Balance to Nosgoth and return the Pillars to vampire hands.
2) Does Ariel know more than she's letting on?
A: We know that Ariel deliberately mislead Kain into believing that killing
the Circle of Nine would cure of his vampirism and that she kept him ignorant
of his role as Balance Guardian until the end. She doesn't tell Kain that
Moebius is the Oracle of Nosgoth, tells Kain that the Time Steaming Device
will 'deliver him in time' and warns him about the Unspoken. She seems to
know an awful lot for a spirit bound to the Pillars. So the answer is yes.
(Defiance shows that she knew about the Ancient vampires prophecies and the
Hylden as well.)
She is just not telling Kain what he doesn't need to know so she can
manipulate him into doing what she wants him to do. If he knew this, he would
become emotionally influenced and perhaps decide against her counsel.
3) Who is the Unspoken/Dark Entity/Hash'ak'gik and what are his intentions?
A: Defiance tells us that the actual Unspoken/Dark Entity being himself is
the Hylden/Sarafan Lord. Hash'ak'gik was the Cenobite cult's name for Turel.
The 'Unspoken' was a Hylden trapped in the Demon Dimension (apparently their
leader). He planned out Mortanius' possession, Ariel's murder, the corruption
of the Circle and the collapse of the Pillars so that the Binding would fail
and he could escape the Demon Dimension. It didn't matter to him which choice
Kain made as both choices would lead to the Binding failing. He is the one
possessing Mortanius (and Janos in Defiance) and is the same Hylden as the
Sarafan Lord in BO2.
BO tells us that Hash'ak'gik was worshipped in Avernus and demanded that his
worshippers take him their first-born to the altar of the world and shed
their blood there for his nourishment. It threatened his worshippers that
they would suffer his wrath if they did not do this. The library of
Willendorf tells us that wherever his cult of worshippers went, tales of
human possession followed.
Defiance explains that the Hylden possessed Turel's body to carry out their
deeds in the Material Realm. The blood sacrifices were needed to keep their
host (Turel) alive. 'Hash'ak'gik' was the worshippers name for Turel. The
'tales of human possession' are probably Hylden possessing more people.
Turel seems to have accepted his new name since he tells Raziel that '(Turel)
was my name, *then*'.
5) What is that annoying thing that Kain says all the time? /Why does Kain
shout 'HEY VICTOR!' all the time? Who's Victor?
A: He's saying 'Vae Victus' and if you listened to the FMV where Kain is in
the underworld, you would have found out that it is Latin for 'Suffering to
the conquered' (another translation is 'Woe to the conquered'). As for it
being annoying, it actually strengthens your last attack.
6) Will there be a remake of this game on next generation consoles?
A: The Legacy of Kain series is in the possession of Crystal Dynamics and
they have said that they would rather create move on into the future than go
back to the past.
So while it's a great idea, it's unlikely. LOK isn't really popular enough
for Eidos to allow Crystal Dynamics to spend thousands of dollars of cash on
remaking a game. Who knows, maybe after the LOK series has completely
concluded, they'll do it.
7) Where can I find this game?
A: If you're *very* lucky you may find it in a bargain bin or antiques video
games store. You might have more luck on e-bay however.
8) Why doesn't Vorador teleport away from that guillotine?
A: Moebius' vampire hunters have been well trained for 50 years. They know
how to stop Vorador from escaping.
In SR2, we discover that Moebius' staff has the power to 'disable our vampire
enemies leaving them helpless and incapacitated' so Vorador couldn't do
anything except prepare for impact.
9) What is the binding item of the Balance Guardian?
A: Crystal Dynamics have said it's the soul of the Balance Guardian.
10) Who employed Kain's assassins?
A: This is said out loud when Anarcrothe says to Mortanius, 'You had Kain
killed and turned him into a monster!' and Mortanius confirms this.
11) Why on Earth have you said that Janos is in BO? He isn't! Are you stupid?
A: Certain members on the GameFAQs boards, *cough*Raz the Cause*cough* and
*cough*STD*cough*, who apparently can't read properly, think I've said that
Janos is in BO. I never said that anywhere in the plot summary.
When Kain arrives in Uschtenheim, he says, 'In my travels, I learned much
about the legend of Janos Audron. Here, in this quaint pastoral village of
Uschtenheim, that dark enemy was born. Janos preyed upon its peasants until
he was finally hunted down and executed'. *That* is what I was talking about.
(By the way, apologies about my fit of coughing.)
12) What is Ignis Fatuus?
A: They are the skull lanterns that you see in the swamp in this game, SR2
and in a cutscene in Defiance.
'ovejaelectrica' writes in to say that '(Ignis Fatuus)is a thing that happens
in swamps, as a result of certain gases expelled by the putrid waters, every
now and then you see a small flame, a few centimetres over the surface, which
seems to just burn up out of nowhere and disappear after a while.'
13) Did William the Just become the Nemesis independently or was he
influenced by outside forces?
A: Just before Kain kills Moebius, they have this conversation:
Kain: Ironic - by going back in time and altering the past you turned William
the Just into the Nemesis.
Moebius: Aye, you have seen my plan, vampire, as I have seen your destiny.
This proves that Moebius had a hand in turning the gentle benefactor into a
power hungry tyrant.
14) Why does Vorador have the Soul Reaver?
A: He doesn't. That is a hybrid of the Bone Sword, a deleted weapon from this
game and the Soul Reaver. Look closely at both swords and you will see a
difference in the hilts.
Defiance explains the reason for the similarity of the swords in that Vorador
had also created the Reaver. Apparently, Vorador has a knack for creating
swords with curving blades.
15) Why doesn't Kain know that he's the Balance Guardian before the end of
the game?
A: Normally, when guardians are born, the older guardians have to find
him/her then tell them about their guardianship. However, Kain was never told
because the present guardians were too busy corrupting the land.
Mortanius and Ariel didn't tell him as there was the danger that he would
decide against killing the Guardians if he knew he was one of them.
16) What are the abilities of each Guardian?
A:
Mind Guardian - Telekinesis and telepathy
Dimension Guardian - Ability to access other dimensions
Conflict Guardian - Exceptional combat ability
Nature Guardian - Ability to manipulate the nature and behaviour of life
Energy Guardian - Ability to harness and manipulate energy
Time Guardian - Ability to travel through time and foresee the future
States Guardian - Ability to change the states of matter of objects
Death Guardian - Ability to resurrect the dead
Balance Guardian - Regulates magic in Nosgoth
17) Why is the guillotine in the Oracle Caves 'wet with blood'?
A: My assumption is that perhaps Moebius had recently taken this from the
Sarafan era for nostalgic purposes. It can't possibly be from any other
vampire purge since no others existed in that timeline.
This theory is supported by how there is also a 'newly fashioned and
untarnished' Sarafan armour and a book about the Sarafan there in the caves.
It's also possible that this guillotine was not used in a vampire purge at
all and Moebius used it for some other reason. Unpleasant visitors?
Storywise reasons aside, it does seem that this guillotine is meant to be
foreshadowing of Vorador's execution.
18) What does the opening phrase mean?
A: Initially, I had believed that it was about the necessity to kill the
corrupted Circle of Nine but 'SKARDAVNELNATE' and 'Zenith' of the GameFAQs
boards have pointed out to me that it is about the Vampire Purge. This is
supported by the fact that it is Malek who speaks this line.
19) Who are the six Guardians who are killed at the start?
A: These Guardians have never been named. There are murals of them in SR2 but
no names of them have ever been given.
What is known is that they were the Guardians of Mind, Dimension, Nature,
Energy, States and Balance since Mortanius, Moebius and Malek (the survivors)
were the Guardians of Death, Time and Conflict.
20) Who moved Kain's body to his mausoleum?
A: Probably, one of the members of his noble family had a search for Kain
following his disappearance. Finding his body, they then buried him in the
Mausoleum.
21) It is said that six Guardians were killed, but we only see four of them
killed! Is this a mistake?
A: No, it's like you said, we only SAW four of them killed. Presumably, the
other two were killed during the times when the camera shifted to the empty
hallway.
22) How did Vorador manage to defeat Malek since Malek is essentially just a
soul?
A: Presumably he used some spell like Spirit Death to destroy Malek's soul.
23) Wouldn't Kain killing William in the past cause a paradox in that he is
removing the reason for him killing William? Why would Kain journey back in
time to kill William in this new timeline?
A: Possibly after Kain found the Time Streaming Device, he also learnt that
Moebius had created the vampire crusade and decided to kill Moebius to
retroactively destroy the crusade. However, Moebius got William to protect
him and Kain killed William.
24) What happened to Vorador after he defeated Malek?
A: Unknown, although it's possible he just returned to his mansion.
25) What does 'Manus Celer Dei' mean?
A: It's Latin for 'the Swift hand of God'.
26) Where are all the vampires in the pre-altered Nosgoth?
A: Well, aside from Vorador and his brides, I don't really know. Vorador does
claim that '(vampires) have not bothered with the cattle since (Vorador's
slaughtering of the Circle) except to feed'. Hence they're all presumably in
hiding knowing that any mass interaction with humans would probably lead to
another vampire purge.
################################
iii) Legacy Of Kain: Soul Reaver
################################
1) Why did Kain tear Raziel's wings?
A: Kain knew about Raziel's destiny as the Vampire Saviour and his destiny as
the Scion of Balance. He knew that he had to cast Raziel into the Abyss to
begin their destinies so he had to ensure that nothing went wrong. This meant
tearing his wings off so he couldn't fly away.
Another reason is so that the game isn't too easy for the players if you just
fly over a castle instead of solving the puzzles inside to get to the other
side.
2) Why did Raziel not go after Turel?
A: The same reason *you* don't go after him. Raziel couldn't find a way into
his clan territory. This is confirmed when in SR2, Raziel says that Turel
eluded his vengeance.
Also, Defiance tells us that Turel had been taken into the past, so even if
Raziel had gotten into Turelim Clan territory, Turel himself would be nowhere
to be found.
3) Why do the vampires evolve into monsters while Kain stays the same?
A: Crystal Dynamics have explained that this is because Kain's soul is
corrupted. As such, his lieutenants are corrupted too as Kain 'breathed' his
soul into them to revive them as vampires. The smaller portion of Kain's soul
they received, the more monstrous they became.
They have also explained that the reason why Kain doesn't turn into a demonic
monster like the rest of the vampires is because Kain is not affected in the
same way by the corruption as his lieutenants were.
4) How much does Kain know?
A: He's foreseen his and Raziel's entire journey up to the point where Raziel
kills him in SR2 as shown when he says 'I have seen the beginning and end of
our story' and by the fact that when the Soul Reaver breaks upon Raziel he
more or less says that he knew that it was going to happen.
From there, he is only assuming what will happen which is why he is so
shocked when new memories bloom in his mind about the Hylden at the end of
SR2.
5) Will the deleted material be released?
A: See the answer for whether a BO remake will be released.
With SR2 and Defiance released, it is unlikely that the original SR will be
released since the original ending is obsolete now.
The deleted material has kind of been integrated into Defiance with Turel's
appearance and Ariel's absorption into the Reaver.
6) What is that great music during the intro FMV?
A: It called 'Ozar Midrashim 1.1' and it was composed by Kurt Harland of
Information Society. You can only get it on their albums 'Don't Be Afraid'
and 'Pure Energy: The Best of the Information Society'.
7) Where do Raziel's armour pieces and trousers go when he's in the Abyss?
A: I assume that his armour pieces fell off, in Raziel's thrashing, and his
trousers were made from dead vampire skin.
8) Why does the Soul Reaver break on Raziel?
A: This is answered in SR2. I'll let Raziel explain this one: -
'The Reaver was never forged to be a soul-stealing weapon, the ravenous,
soul-devouring entity trapped in the blade was - and always had been - me.
This is why the blade was destroyed when Kain tried to strike me down - the
Reaver could not devour its own soul. The paradox shattered the blade.'
9) Why did Kain order for Raziel to be thrown into the Abyss?
A: Prior to SR2, we are meant to believe that Kain was merely jealous that
Raziel had grown wings and was angered that Raziel had evolved before him
potentially meaning that he would become more powerful than Kain.
In SR2 and Defiance, we find out that Kain realised that Raziel was the
saviour depicted in Ancient murals and merely wanted Raziel angry enough to
chase him through time so that he could try to restore his and Raziel's
original destinies as the Scion of Balance and the vampire saviour. Look
again at the start of SR, Kain has a look of realization, not shock and
anger, on his face when he sees Raziel with wings.
'mark may' points out that when Kain orders for Raziel to be thrown in the
Abyss, he appears to have a look of pain and guilt. He doesn't even watch
Raziel being thrown in. Kain's reluctance for Raziel to be absorbed into the
Reaver in Defiance proves this.
The reason why Kain had him thrown in the Abyss rather than ask him to come
with him back in time to save Nosgoth's destiny is that without Raziel being
thrown in the Abyss, he doesn't become a Reaver of Souls and hence the Soul
Reaver cannot be created. This creates a paradox and so history would have
done something to ensure that Raziel fell into the Abyss.
10) How does Raziel talk?
A: In an interview, Amy Hennig claimed that it was just due to 'supple throat
muscles'. However, many fans have interpreted this to be a sarcastic comment
and have made three theories.
- Raziel talks to people via telepathy. Note that most of the time; Raziel is
only talking to one person.
- Raziel is able to telekinetically vibrate air molecules to produce sound.
- Plain simple magic.
11) What is the Wheel of Fate?
A: The Elder God explains that when someone dies, his or her soul is drawn
into the Spectral Realm. The Elder God's agents (Archons, Reapers etc.) then
devour them and the energy is transferred into the Wheel of Fate, where
'their destinies are completed'. The soul provides the energy for new life to
spawn and food for the Elder God.
Vampires, since they are immortal, prevent souls from reaching the Wheel of
Fate and prevents new life from born. Also it prevents the Elder God from
feeding. This is why the Elder God has a desire for the extermination of the
vampire race.
However, it is implied many times in SR2 and Defiance that the Wheel of Fate
is a fraud and just the Elder God's justification for feeding upon souls.
12) How did the humans manage to kill Dumah?
A: Dumah's arrogance that he was invincible made him vulnerable to an
unexpected attack. As for how they actually killed him, I assume there were a
lot of them and some of them had water buckets.
13) What would the Razielim have looked like?
A: While it's no certainty, it's probable that they would look like mutant
bats.
14) Who created the warp gates?
A: I cannot think of an explanation for these, since some of them have Clan
symbols on them, and so I assume that they are merely to assist the player in
traversing Nosgoth and not plot related at all.
Note: These have no connection to Defiance's warp gates.
15) Is Dumah's clan territory (the Ruined City) Malek's Bastion/the Land of
the Nemesis?
A: You will find that the Ruined City is directly North from the Lake of the
Dead, so it can't be the Land of the Nemesis. It is likely to be in the
vicinity of Malek's Bastion but it can't be the Paladin's old fortress as the
Ruined City is ground based whilst Malek's Bastion is upon a mountain.
16) Why is Raziel blue?
A: The blue colour is the result of his scarring in the Abyss. I don't know
whether it would turn blue but your skin would certainly change colour if it
were placed in corrosive acid.
17) What is 'Legacy of Kain: Quest for Melchiah'?
A: This is a PC demo of SR that comprises from the start of the regular game
up to the battle with Melchiah in the Necropolis.
18) Why did Kain suck so much at fighting in this game? He gave up after
three hits from Raziel!
A: He doesn't. The reason why it takes only three hits for him to either, get
fed up with fighting and strike Raziel with the Soul Reaver, or retreat to
the time portal, is that he wasn't even trying to kill Raziel. He needed
Raziel alive to complete his destiny as Scion of Balance.
He struck Raziel with the Soul Reaver as he needed the Wraith Blade on
Raziel's arm and he retreated to the Chronoplast to lure Raziel into
Nosgoth's past, allow him to find out the Ancient prophecies and realise his
destiny.
19) Why don't we see that building around the Pillars in any of the other
games?
A: That building is the Sanctuary of the Clans. It was built by human slaves
as the base of Kain's empire. Kain had not even begun his empire in any of
the other games so it's only logical that it isn't built yet.
20) Will we ever see the last 3 Chronoplast visions in a future game?
A: Here's a reminder of what they are: -
- Raziel strikes Ariel with the Wraith Blade. This creates the Ariel Reaver.
- Raziel confronts Kain in a room with Kain's clan symbol on the floor.
- Raziel stands upon a ledge with the Kain Reaver.
If you use your imagination, these events did happen in future games: -
- Raziel absorbed Ariel into the Wraith Blade in Defiance (although he didn't
actually strike her)
- The second vision could be Raziel confronting Kain in Avernus if you ignore
the Kain symbol on the floor (this was originally Raziel confronting Kain at
his mountain retreat).
- The third vision could be Raziel standing on Janos Audron's balcony after
Janos' death (if you imagine the Kain Reaver is the Fire Reaver).
Crystal Dynamics have said these visions are those of alternate timelines
and/or illusions created by Moebius.
Considering Raziel's fate in Defiance, I don't think it's likely that these
events will occur exactly as they did.
21) If Dumah claims to be stronger than Kain then why didn't he challenge
Kain's rule?
A: Because he is loyal to Kain and that Kain is armed with the Soul Reaver.
As implied by Raziel at the Pillars battle, all the vampires knew that they
were likely to be defeated by the Soul Reaver.
Additionally, Melchiah told Raziel that Kain only made himself shown when he
wanted so Dumah would've had trouble finding Kain in the first place to
defeat him.
22) Is the Lake of the Dead full of water?
A: Presumably so. It sure looks like water and there's no real reason why it
shouldn't be (despite the fact that it's never actually said whether it is
water).
##############################################
iv) Soul Reaver 2 -The Legacy Of Kain Series-
##############################################
1) Why must Janos stay dead?
A: Defiance shows that Janos' resurrection led to the Hylden Lord possessing
him and using him to power the Device (if you don't know what the Device is,
play BO2). Also, Janos being thrown into the Demon Dimension may have adverse
and dangerous effects on him.
2) What are the shades?
A: The instruction manual tells us that they are soulless shadow creatures
that confound Raziel by stealing elemental energy from fonts and Reaver
barriers.
Crystal Dynamics have said that Shades are fragments of half devoured souls
which have built up over time into the form of the Shades (which is why
striking them with the Wraith Blade charges it up but doesn't explain why
striking them with the Blood Reaver charges that up).
3) What does that writing on Moebius' statue mean?
A: 'Requiescat in pace' is Latin for 'Rest in peace'.
4) Why did Moebius send Raziel 100 years after Blood Omen?
A: Perhaps Moebius knew that Raziel needed the Air Reaver to access Janos'
Balcony Chamber. A more realistic answer is that Moebius wanted to annoy
Raziel and make him believe that he didn't want him to meet Janos.
A game play reason is to make the game longer and perhaps so that the Ariel
cameo was possible.
5) Why did Kain follow Raziel 100 years after BO?
A: Kain really has nothing else to do while waiting for Raziel to be attacked
by the conjoined Reavers. Seriously.
'ovejaelectrica' points out this dialogue: -
Raziel: You are persistent, crossing time like this to follow me. Still
waiting for that coin of yours to land on its edge?
Kain: I'm biding my time.
6) How do Moebius, Kain and the Elder God follow Raziel through time?
A: Moebius is the Time Guardian and has seen everything Raziel has done so he
doesn't travel through time. He knows what he has done to Raziel and vice
versa in the future and past. The Elder God basically tells Raziel that he is
omnipresent. Kain knows how to operate Moebius' Time Streaming Devices as
shown in the opening FMV.
7) Why didn't Janos fly away from the Sarafan?
A: He was disabled by Moebius' staff. It shows this in Janos' death scene
where they use it to restrain while Raziel pulls his heart out.
8) What are the mutants?
A: The instruction book tells us that they are evolved, degenerate creatures
as a result of Kain's decision. I can't imagine what they were prior to their
evolution.
9) Why did the Sarafan take Janos' heart?
A: It's much easier to take his heart as a trophy than his whole body.
Moebius could have specifically asked them to take it to ensure that Raziel
followed them back to the Stronghold.
Also, it is suggested that the Sarafan, believing that the Heart of Darkness
'embodies the essence of (the vampires') dark gift', took the heart for this
reason.
10) What is Kain's third option/edge of the coin?
A: It's how Kain can both refuse the sacrifice and restore Nosgoth. By
preventing Raziel from entering the Reaver, he allowed Raziel to pursue his
true destiny in Defiance. Raziel gained the Spirit Reaver and used it to heal
Kain of Nupraptor's corruption. Presumably, this means the Balance Pillar in
the future era of SR has been restored.
11) Who are those blue and grey winged beings in the murals?
A: In BO2 and Defiance, we find out about these two races. The blue winged
beings are the Ancients and the grey beings are the Hylden. Long ago in
Nosgoth, the Ancients devoutly worshipped the Elder God and the Wheel of
Fate. The Hylden however refused to do this and this eventually led to war.
Eventually, the Ancients managed to banish the Hylden into the Demon
Dimension. As revenge, the Hylden cast a blood curse, immortality and
sterility upon the Ancients.
The immortality meant that the Ancients would never be sent to the Wheel of
Fate. As such, the Elder God stopped communicating with them. Unable to bear
this separation, many Ancients committed suicide.
The blood thirst meant that the Ancients became the first vampires and were
forced to prey upon humans to sustain themselves. Also, the sterility meant
that no more of their race could be created through natural means. The
existence of vampires was needed to maintain the Binding that kept the Hylden
in place. Also, since the Pillars choose their Guardians from birth, Ancients
were no longer chosen but instead humans.
Hence the Ancients also had to turn humans into vampires to carry on their
race and ensure that the Pillars remained in vampire hands. The humans were
alarmed by this and lead by Moebius and Mortanius created the Sarafan to kill
the vampires. All of the Ancients died out and they were forgotten by the
humans. The last Ancient, Janos Audron, was killed by the Sarafan Raziel.
12) Who are the 'Hylden'?
A: See above and play BO2 and Defiance.
13) Who are the two others that Moebius claims that were spared from
Vorador's attack in BO?
A: Malek and Mortanius. Malek was only knocked out by Vorador and Defiance
shows that Mortanius was alive long before this event.
14) Why is there a demon behind Dumah's mural?
A: It is generally believed by LOK fans that this demon is Raziel. Raziel
killed the Sarafan with the Reaver and since Dumah was the one to carry the
Reaver out of Janos' Retreat, Raziel is placed behind him.
The reason why it looks *nothing* like Raziel is that the Sarafan, as was the
case also with Janos, wanted to demonise their enemies in order to lionise
themselves.
15) Why didn't Raziel kill Kain in this game?
A: In this game, Raziel's anger is subsiding and he has come to the
realization that killing Kain may not restore the Balance Pillar and Nosgoth.
He realizes that by killing Kain, he is doing what the 'Dark Forces' want him
to do and hence allowing himself to be manipulated by them.
16) Why did the Ancients become extinct?
A: Three reasons here: -
1- They could no longer reproduce due to the blood curse placed on them.
2- Many of them committed suicide due to separation from the Elder God.
3- Whatever left of them were hunted down to extinction by the Sarafan.
17) What is that giant structure in the Subterranean Caverns?
A: Amy Hennig via Christopher Bruno has said it's a 'statue, a symbolic
representation of the Elder God fashioned by an ancient, primitive cult.'
Defiance implies this 'ancient, primitive cult' are the Ancients.
'Preacher' suggests that perhaps the feral humans in Vampire Citadel are this
ancient, primitive cult since they are indeed primitive and it is implied
that they know about the Elder God.
18) Why doesn't Raziel experience a temporal distortion everywhere he goes?
A: Raziel's soul and the Wraith Blade have become different somewhat. After
being imprisoned in the Reaver blade for thousands of years, Raziel's soul
becomes a spiritual representation of the Reaver (as shown in SR when Raziel
sees it for the first time and the Defiance wraith blade.)
There has apparently been a significant enough change so that history no
longer recognises Raziel's soul and the Wraith Blade as identical souls.
19) Why does Moebius' staff affect the Wraith Blade but not Raziel?
A: Raziel is no longer a vampire following his trip in the Abyss. He has
essentially become a wraith.
The reason why the Wraith Blade is affected is because has been trapped in
the Reaver blade for thousands of years, along with the 'vampiric energy'
within that Janos mentions.
20) How does Kain know about (anything that happens in SR2)?
A: Kain tells us that, in the SR ending/SR2 intro, that he has spent years in
Moebius' Chronoplast chamber and as such, he has subsequently learnt the
whole history of Nosgoth.
21) What is a paradox?
A: It is a statement or event that contradicts itself. Take this example: -
You go back in time and kill your grandmother before she gives birth to your
mother. This means that your mother is never born and subsequently you are
never born. But if you are never born, that means that you never go back in
time to kill your grandmother and so your mother is born. But that means that
you are born and you go back in time to kill your grandmother...etc. I think
you get the idea. This is known to time travel theorists as the 'Grandmother
Paradox'.
LOK (Amy Hennig) solves this by following the theory of 'Self-consistency'.
This theory follows the idea that everything in history is meant to happen
even time travel. That way, a paradox can never be caused. So, if you went
back in time to meet your grandmother, no matter how hard you tried, you
wouldn't be able to kill her because the timeline wouldn't allow it; you were
never meant to. Additionally, this theory means that there is no free will
and everyone is forced to do what the timeline says that they do.
LOK expands on this idea by claiming that you can possibly break away from
the timeline during a temporal distortion. This occurs whenever two identical
bodies meet in time and space. As the two bodies get closer together, the
distortion intensifies until they are at point blank range. During this time,
one close to the distortion can change the timeline. You have to wonder
though, if history does abhor a paradox, then why does it even create these
temporal distortions in the timeline.
The answer to this, we can infer from Defiance. Seeing as Raziel has free
will, that must mean that history has no control over where he or indeed his
soul (i.e. the Reaver) can be and hence the occurrence of temporal
distortions.
So, if you cause a paradox through the method above, the timeline will
attempt to reshuffle itself to change history without any major alteration.
However, if you create a fatal paradox such as the 'Grandmother Paradox'
above then history will simply remove you from the timeline all together.
That way your grandmother and mother are still alive and the timeline isn't
too messed up.
22) At the end of the game did Kain stop Raziel being absorbed altogether or
did enough of Raziel's soul be absorbed into the Reaver for the Soul Reaver
to be created?
A: (This question was sent in prior to Defiance's release)
Defiance shows that the Soul Reaver was not created at the end of SR2 since
Kain has the Blood Reaver in Defiance and the fact that *the Soul Reaver is
created in Defiance*.
23) How did the Sarafan follow Raziel up to Janos' balcony chamber?
A: Firstly, the Sarafan entered the mountain through the hole that Raziel
made in it with the Air Reaver. (I haven't mentioned this hole in the Plot
Summary and that's why I got this question) Then, they walked up the
balconies, galleries and bridges that Raziel created all the way up to the
balcony chamber then burst in... and you know the rest.
24) What are the words to the intro theme 'Ariel's Lament'?
A: Kain refused the sacrifice.
What are you, little soul?
Locked in eternal limbo.
Be wary Raziel.
Those blind with rage are by destiny ensnared.
Kain refused the sacrifice.
You know that this is true.
May you find peace here, Raziel.
Kain refused the sacrifice.
Locked in eternal limbo.
Locked in eternal limbo.
Note: These aren't the words to the Defiance version of Ariel's Lament.
25) How did the circle of Raziel's destiny begin?
A: Put simply, it never began. It was always that way. Don't think of time in
the LOK series as linear, everything is predestined and everything is
supposed to happen (with the exception of temporal distortion produced
events, of course). Nothing in the timeline is dependant on anything else
because it's planned to play out the way it is and no other way. Don't assume
that time travel isn't part of the timeline because it is because fate wrote
it that way.
So, the Wraith Raziel always killed the Sarafan Raziel and Raziel was always
absorbed into the Reaver.
26) Why did Raziel not experience a temporal distortion in the presence of
the Reaver in the Sarafan Era?
A: As Raziel explains; the Reaver was never intended by the Ancients to be a
soul-reaving weapon. It only became the Soul Reaver when Raziel was absorbed
into it and prior to that it was only a blood-sucking blade.
Hence, when Raziel encounters the Soul Reaver, his soul within the blade and
his soul on his arm (i.e. the Wraith Blade) come into close proximity. The
presence of two identical souls in time and space causes the temporal
distortion.
When Raziel encounters the Reaver in the Sarafan Era, his soul is not yet in
it so there is no temporal distortion.
27) Who becomes the Reaver Guardian when Janos dies?
A: The post of Reaver Guardian is not like the other posts. Whereas the
Pillars are symbiotically bound to their Guardians, the Reaver Guardian is
not symbiotically bound to the Reaver. This means that the Reaver does not
cull a successor after Janos dies.
(Technically, Raziel becomes the Reaver Guardian after Janos since Janos
passed it on to him in the Aerie then Kain following events in SR2 and
Defiance.)
The point I'm making is that Raziel was not summoned by the Reaver to be the
next Guardian. Janos (and the Ancients' prophesies) names him to be the true
Guardian of the Reaver. It was never intended for anyone else to become the
Reaver Guardian; it was forged for the Vampire Saviour alone.
28) Did Raziel truly kill Kain in the unaltered timeline?
A: Yes, this is proven by Moebius' complete shock that Raziel has not killed
him and the expression on Kain's face in the moments before Raziel brings the
Reaver down.
29) Why did Raziel not experience a temporal distortion when he met his
Sarafan self?
A: A temporal distortion requires two *identical* versions of Raziel in time
and space. Raziel and his Sarafan self are not identical.
30) How do the shattered pieces of the Soul Reaver come from the Sanctuary of
the Clans in the future to William's chapel in the past?
A: You're getting confused here. The Soul Reaver was shattered when William
and Kain fought. It was subsequently fixed 20 years later when Raziel
performed the Reaver convergence in SR2.
Hundreds of years later, in the future, it was shattered *again* when Kain
struck Raziel with it.
31) What is the Binding?
A: The Binding is the lock of the Pillars that keeps the Hylden banished in
the Demon Dimension. It is sustained by the existence of vampires. If
vampires become extinct then the Binding will completely fail and the Hylden
will be able to escape.
32) The Reaver door to the Subterranean Caverns is weathered in the Sarafan
era but it's not in the later eras? Is this a mistake?
A: No. The door is not weathered but in fact just covered with snow and ice.
33) What is that yellow stuff you see floating in the air sometimes?
A: They're fireflies.
############################################
v) Blood Omen 2 -The Legacy Of Kain Series-
############################################
1) Why do so many people hate this game/Why is this game so bad?
A: Oh, where do I begin?
- The endless glitches (See GawdDawgs' 'Name that Glitch!' topic on the
GameFAQs' and Eidos' BO2 forums)
- The fact that every battle (with a single opponent!) takes at least 2
minutes including blood sucking.
- Bad-kung-fu-movie-style lack of enemy teamwork in combat.
- The fact that you have to suck *everyone's* blood otherwise you won't have
enough health at the end of the game.
- Over emphasis on combat, made worse by...
- Repetitive combat (Block, block, block, dodge, attack, blood suck, repeat
several hundred times throughout the game).
- Bad puzzles that only test 0.0001 per cent of the brain.
- The bad story that seems to disregard previous games and causes plot holes.
- Janos and Vorador's reappearances without explanation.
- Janos and Kain's radically altered appearances.
- The complete butchering of Vorador's appearance.
- The alien, sci-fi atmosphere towards the end of the game that does not suit
LOK.
- The 'all powerful' Hylden being nothing more than wheezing old men.
- The abundance of Glyph technology; technology does not fit into Nosgoth.
- Kain's Little Red Riding Hood costume.
- The BO2 team's bad attempt at sex appeal through Umah, female Cabal
members' and the Seer's clothing.
- The cheesy dialogue (although credit goes to the VAs for doing their best).
- Kain's small number of soliloquies.
- Kain's restricted 'Tomb Raider-esque' movement and camera.
- Kain's inability to move blocks sideways.
- Bad lip-synching throughout the game especially at the end.
- Linearity and lack of secrets.
- Inability to explore previous areas.
- Umah's, Janos', Kain's etc. annoying and unnecessary foibles.
- etc.
Need I say more?
The author of this plot guide almost didn't buy this game because of all the
negative feedback and criticisms.
This game isn't up to the SR series, BO and Defiance standard mainly because
it was created by a different Crystal Dynamics team. During the production of
BO, Amy Hennig and several other members of Crystal Dynamics were working
along with Silicon Knights. This same people developed the SR series and
Defiance. A different group in Crystal Dynamics were entrusted with Blood
Omen 2. Compare SR, SR2 and Defiance credits to the BO2 credits; the
producers, director etc. are different.
2) Why are Janos and Vorador alive?
A: Defiance shows that Raziel resurrected Janos.
Near the end of the game, Kain tells Vorador, 'Do you wish to return to the
grave?' This could mean that Kain resurrected him but then could be another
way of saying to a vampire, 'Do you want to die again?' Because vampires are
already dead, you see.
Remember though, in the new timeline, we never actually did find out whether
Vorador was executed. It's possible that changes in the timeline allowed him
to escape or someone to save him. But don't get me wrong, the resurrection
theory is still good.
'Aidoneus Malancthon' points out that the statue of Moebius in SR2 is holding
what may be Vorador's actual head. After 100 years, it is still in a fair
condition (albeit brown). Perhaps, in a similar way to Janos in Defiance, a
part of Vorador is still alive and preserving his body?
3) What is the origin of the Nexus Stone?
A: There is no answer given in the game (and I assume the BO2 team just threw
it in without thinking of an origin) but I would guess that the Ancients
created it in case the Reaver fell into the wrong hands. Unfortunately, it
works both ways. However, I am unable to come up with a reason as to its
space and time manipulations. Hopefully, there will be an answer in the next
game.
'kirbyclause' theorises that it is just a creation by the Hylden to counter
the vampires' ultimate weapon and allow them to escape the demon dimension.
4) Who is the Seer?
A: Crystal Dynamics have confirmed the Seer to be one of the Hylden. The in-
game evidence for this is that Vorador claims that she is older than he,
since Vorador was the first blood curse vampire, this shows she is a member
of one of the elder races and she looks nothing like an Ancient or a human,
so...
Also, Kain does say, 'You're like no vampire I have ever seen'.
The reason why she looks different from the rest of the Hylden is because
they have been imprisoned in the Demon Dimension and 'lost their former
beauty' just like the Sarafan Lord says so.
'Eric Chinault' points out the murals of a female Hylden in the Hylden City.
He believes (as do I) that this is the Seer.
The reasons for why she was not trapped in the Demon Dimension are unknown
but Crystal Dynamics have confirmed her to be 'an extremely powerful and
mysterious Hylden'. Perhaps it has something to do with the favour that
Vorador mentioned she owed him. (See question 7)
5) The instruction book says BO2 is 200 years after BO but you say it happens
400 years after. Who is right?
A: That is a screw-up by the instruction book. 200 years after BO, Kain is
defeated by the Sarafan Lord and 200 years after that is when BO2 happens.
6) How can that human get a Dark Gift?
A: The 'Dark Gift' doesn't refer to vampiric abilities but rather vampirism
itself (i.e. Umah promised to turn him into a vampire).
'ash_ryan666' theorises that the Cabal were also going to turn the Bishop
into a vampire i.e. their promise to him of immortality.
7) What is the favour that the Seer owes Vorador?
A: 'Eric Chinault' points out that in the Hylden City there are murals of a
female Hylden. This is possibly the Seer. 'Eric Chinault' theorises that
perhaps Vorador, since he was alive at the time of the Hylden banishment,
persuaded the Ancients to spare the Seer.
8) Why is there a Moebius statue in the Eternal Prison?
A: Considering the fact that the Eternal Prison is frozen in time and has
various devices to alter time within, it wouldn't be an outlandish guess that
Moebius had a hand in its construction. His statue may have been placed there
was a thanks to him.
9) Was Umah really working for the Sarafan Lord?
A: I don't think so. I think that Umah just didn't want another dictator in
Nosgoth. There is really only one chance Umah and the Sarafan Lord could have
made an agreement and that is in the Sarafan Keep. If that's so why did Umah
teleport Kain away from him?
Also, she tells Kain to take the Nexus Stone and the Sarafan Lord is
genuinely surprised to see Kain has it later. I think this was just a way of
Kain justifying his killing of Umah to himself.
10) Why didn't Janos fly away from the Hylden Gate?
A: He was exhausted from the fight and besides give the guy some slack, he
was just kicked in the balls. 'Eric Chinault' points out that a snapping
sound (which I believed to be just a bad sound effect) is heard during the
fight. This may be the sound of Janos' wings snapping.
11) Do the Glyphs in this game have any connection to the SR Glyphs?
A: I wouldn't think so. The SR Glyphs are magical spells and the BO2 Glyphs
are energy. Also, most of the Glyphs in SR had harmful effects upon humans
whilst in this game, humans walk right through Glyph energy with no adverse
effects.
12) Who destroyed the bridges in the Canyons?
A: Either the demons or the thieves. The evidence points to the thieves
however as we actively see one of them cut down a bridge.
13) Why are the Soul Reaver and some crossbows in the Seer's house?
A: Those are just waiting there until the cutscene starts when they are put
into the Sarafan Lord and Sarafans' hands. It is not plot related.
14) How can the Sarafan be in BO2 if they were disbanded 500 years before BO?
A: Janos explains this, '(The Sarafan Lord) learned of a legendary order
whose purpose was to purge the world of vampires long ago. He revived this
order and the Sarafan were born again.'
So you see there are two Sarafan groups.
1 - Created by Moebius and Mortanius to counter the 'Vampire Plague'. Led by
Malek and Raziel. Disbanded when the 6 Sarafan Inquisitors and 6 Guardians
were killed.
2 - Created and led by the Sarafan/Hylden Lord to allow him to wipe out the
vampires and seize control of Nosgoth. Disbanded following Kain's banishment
of the Hylden.
15) Why did Janos transform into the Beast?
A: Being drained of your blood to power an eternal creature of great power
does have something of a negative effect on you. 'Eric Chinault' points out
that perhaps it's just lack of blood that causes vampires to become
monstrous.
16) Does BO2 take place in one day? It starts at dusk and ends at dawn.
A: It's very unlikely. I assume that there's a day break every time that Kain
changes his clothes. Kain only goes out at night since that is when he's
strongest (as shown in BO).
17) Who runs the Eternal Prison?
A: Most likely the Prison Guardians since we don't see anyone else there
except prisoners.
'Devan Lindsey' suggests that perhaps it was run by Moebius prior to his fate
at the hands of Kain and the Iron Sword. The reasoning behind this is because
of Moebius' role as Time Guardian and the fact that he has a statue in the
place.
18) What is the Demon Dimension?
A: Exactly like it sounds. It's another dimension where demons live.
Play Defiance and you will see it.
19) What is that blue invincible Demon that Kain runs from in the Hylden
City?
A: My assumption is that it is a creature that the Hylden captured in the
Demon Dimension and brought to Nosgoth, so that they could unleash it upon
their enemies. Notice that it doesn't like the Hylden since it kills a couple
on its escape. (Apparently, the feeling is mutual since you can overhear a
conversation between two Hylden near the entrance of the Hylden City where
one of them proclaims his hatred of demons and the demon dimension.)
20) Is it possible that Janos was never killed in this altered timeline?
A: No, because both Kain and Vorador refer to when the (old) Sarafan killed
Janos by ripping out his heart.
21) Does the Sarafan Lord have the Flame Sword in the BO2 intro?
A: Unlikely. Remember that sequence is a dream of Kain and many things are
inconsistent in it such as Faustus, Marcus, Sebastian and Magnus are by his
side when they supposedly two of them abandoned him, one of them hid after
Kain tried to kill him and the other got sent to the Eternal Prison. Also,
Kain's army meant to have been destroyed by Sebastian's ambush at this point.
It's possible that Kain didn't remember what the Sarafan Lord's sword looked
like and his brain subconsciously replaced the Sarafan Lord's sword with a
sword that Kain was familiar with.
22) Why does Kain look younger in this game than in BO?
A: Well, either because of the graphical improvement or it's yet another
mess-up by the BO2 team. Or perhaps, it's all that make up that Kain's
wearing.
23) You're wrong! BO2 occurs on an unaltered timeline! BO2 occurs immediately
after BO without any interference from Kain and Raziel in SR2 and Defiance!
A: Despite my sincerest efforts, some people on the GameFAQs boards and some
people who've e-mailed me still believe that BO2 is on an unaltered timeline
despite the fact that *Amy Hennig* has said it is on an altered timeline.
These people believe that BO2 should be played immediately after BO. I'd
really like to see these people explain how Janos is alive in BO2 without any
changes to the timeline.
I'll say it once again (although I'll probably be saying it many times again
in the future). Events in Defiance and SR2 (and a future game that explains
Vorador's appearance) change the timeline so that BO2 can exist.
BO2 exists on a different timeline than BO, SR and part of SR2. BO2 does not
exist before Defiance.
Any other way you'd like it explained?
24) In the Sarafan Keep, Kain comes across a group of about 6 Sarafan
Knights, however for some reason all but one of them leave. Where and why did
the others go?
A: As we see in a cutscene later in the level, the Sarafan have found the
bodies of the people Kain has killed (Kain wasn't really hiding them anyway)
and so they increase security around Umah's cell. This is possibly why the
others left then.
25) Just before Kain leaves for the Canyons, he says that he's already
encountered a demon before. When was this, so far he has only battled human
opponents?
A: I believe he's referring to the demons in BO.
26) How does Kain resist Marcus' Charm ability if his mind has been weakened
from 200 years of sleep?
A: Kain presumably recovered quickly. Take notice that merely a few minutes
after he reawakens he can lift up and hurl humans by the neck and
telekinetically pull weapons into his hand. This shows his physical and
mental strength recovered quickly.
27) How did Janos know where Sanctuary was?
A: Janos probably sensed Vorador's presence and just teleported himself and
Kain to where he was.
28) If the Demon Dimension deformed the Hylden from what the Seer looks like
to what they look like now, why does the Builder look like the other Hylden?
A: Considering the appearance of the other prisoners in the Eternal Prison, I
can safety assume that the Eternal Prison also has a deforming effect upon
its inhabitants.
############################
vi) Legacy Of Kain: Defiance
############################
1) Why is Moebius alive when Kain meets him in the Spirit Forge? Hasn't he
been killed by the younger Kain by now?
A: Prior to Kain killing him, Moebius says, 'To kill me? *Again*?' and
afterwards he says, 'Soon, all pain will fade, and my Master *will bring me
life once more*.'
This means that after the younger Kain killed him in BO, the Elder God
resurrected him and that is how he is alive in the Spirit Forge.
2) How did Kain survive having his heart ripped out?
A: He is the Scion of Balance. Purely and simply that.
I'm sorry if some of you are dissatisfied with that answer but that is what
Crystal Dynamics themselves have said.
Update: Apparently, several readers aren't reading this properly. I've
received e-mails saying how this is an unsatisfactory *theory*. This is not a
theory; it is fact since Crystal Dynamics have said it.
'Milos Budincevic' points out that Kain says that the Wraith Blade is the
only weapon that can kill him. Raziel didn't kill him with the Wraith Blade,
did he?
3) Was Raziel the Vampire saviour or the Hylden saviour?
A: He was both. Because he has free will, Raziel could have chosen to be
either. Look at the murals, the vampire saviour has the Reaver and the Hylden
saviour has a flaming sword; the Wraith Blade is both.
If you noticed carefully, you realize that both murals were true. By allowing
himself to be absorbed into the Reaver, he achieved both outcomes. He was
both victorious and defeated at the same time.
In resurrecting Janos, he achieved the destiny of the Hylden saviour by
ensuring their release (albeit indirectly).
In purifying Kain, he achieved the destiny of the Vampire saviour by helping
the Scion of Balance towards restoring the Pillars.
Please note that just because Raziel wasn't a Hylden doesn't mean that he
couldn't have been their saviour.
4) How did Turel end up in the Avernus Catacombs?
A: In BO, Azimuth, the Dimension Guardian, is said to have 'stole the Time
Streaming Device (from Moebius) in order to gather creatures from other ages'
The Hylden, having seduced the Circle, had Azimuth, with her Time Streaming
Device, bring Turel from the future.
Update: Crystal Dynamics have confirmed this in a Q&A.
5) Where is the Vampire Citadel exactly?
A: Some have theorised that it is the Lost City in BO but Crystal Dynamics
have said these are two different places.
Moebius tells Kain that it is west of the Pillars. We see that the Vampire
Citadel is upon a lake. According to maps, the Lake of Tears is west of the
Pillars. This is likely to be where the Vampire Citadel is located.
6) If Ariel is absorbed into the Wraith Blade at the time of BO then how does
she appear in SR and SR2?
A: It has been theorised that this Ariel was from the future, the era of SR
or beyond. The evidence for this is that Ariel knows his name. Ariel when she
met Raziel in SR2 and earlier in the game did not know his name.
The reason why Ariel has an unblemished face is that the Spirit Forge has
purified her.
7) What is that phrase that Kain says occasionally when impaling his
opponents?
A: See the BO Q&A section about the 'annoying phrase Kain says all the time'.
8) What and who are whose crazy feral humans in the Vampire Citadel?
A: I assume these are the descendants of the human Guardians who were
abducted by the Ancients.
They seem to know vaguely about their history as they repeatedly say
'vempari' when fighting Kain.
9) Is this game 'Soul Reaver 3'?
A: Yes since it is the sequel to SR2. The reason why it is not called SR3 is
purely because Kain is a playable character.
10) Why did Kain re-enter the Sarafan Stronghold at the start of the game if
he was already there at the end of SR2?
A: Some LOK fans have theorised that Kain had unsuccessfully attempted to
find Raziel in the Stronghold then looked everywhere else in Nosgoth. After
being unable to find him anywhere, Kain knew that Moebius would know where
Raziel was and decided to find Moebius.
The comic of Defiance shows that Kain had to leave to feed and so left to
kill some prey, however this comic is 'unofficial' (Crystal Dynamics
authorised use of the characters, locations, the general plot, etc but did
not create it themselves) and hence this is not a canonical event.
'Pedro' points out that Kain must've been gone from the Stronghold for a
significant time seeing as security would've tighter following the murders of
6 Sarafan Inquisitors and 6 members of the Circle.
There is also a theory that Defiance occurs 30 years after the ending of SR2.
The era that Raziel was in at the end of SR2 was 530 years before BO but
there are repeated statements in this game that Kain and Raziel are 500 years
apart. However, this may just be someone rounding 530 off to 500 years.
(Also, I doubt it would take Kain 30 years to search Nosgoth for Raziel
before deciding to question Moebius.)
11) How does Moebius' soul appear 100 years after BO, in SR2 if Raziel had
devoured it?
A: Crystal Dynamics have said that that was 'an illusion created by Moebius
to influence Raziel'.
12) If Turel didn't know that Raziel survived the Abyss then why did he say
'I heard what you did to them'?
A: It's possible that Turel had heard that a strange blue demon had killed
his brethren but did not know that it was Raziel.
13) Mortanius says to Raziel, 'You forget who schooled me in the ancient
prophecies'. Who does he mean?
A: Since Mortanius was around at the time when the Ancients were around; you
could assume it was them.
14) What happened to Janos after the Hylden Lord defeated Raziel?
A: Play BO2.
If you're too lazy here's what happened. The Hylden Lord placed Janos into
the Device to power the Mass. Janos devolved into the Beast and was drained
of his energy. 400 years later, the younger Kain destroyed the Mass, which
restored Janos' strength and appearance. Janos and Kain confronted the Hylden
(Sarafan) Lord at the Hylden Gate. Janos was thrown in and sent to the Demon
Dimension by the Sarafan Lord. After this is anyone's guess.
15) If the Wraith Blade cannot harm the Elder God then why can you (as
Raziel) slice his tentacles? Also, he was hurt by it in the Spirit Forge.
A: The instruction book tells us that these tentacles are minions of the
Elder God and not the Elder God's tentacles. His minions probably aren't as
strong as it is.
The reason why he is hurt by the Wraith Blade in the Spirit Forge is possibly
because the Elder God actually meant that it couldn't hurt him in the
Spectral Realm. Apparently, in the Material Realm, the Wraith Blade has some
element of physicality that can hurt its tentacles. This is supported by how
attacking his tentacles in the Spectral Realm has no effect.
16) Why doesn't Kain want Janos to be resurrected?
A: See this question in the SR2 Q&A section.
17) Can you elaborate on the Hylden Lord/Sarafan Lord/Unspoken's story?
A: The Hylden Lord was the Hylden who planned to seduce the Circle of Nine,
possess Mortanius and kill Ariel thus causing the corruption and eventual
collapse of the Pillars. This would weaken the Binding enough for him to
escape.
When Raziel met Mortanius, the being possessing Mortanius was the Hylden
Lord.
When Kain fought Mortanius in BO, the Hylden Lord malformed his body and
became the Unspoken being Kain fought and defeated.
When the Pillars collapsed due to Kain's decision, there was a rift in the
Binding and the Hylden Lord managed to escape. He then possessed Janos,
defeated Raziel and flew off in Janos' body.
Apparently, the Hylden Lord although he had escaped from the Demon Dimension
could not survive long in the Material Realm without being inside Janos. He
used the Nexus Stone to create a portal (the Hylden Gate) to the Demon
Dimension that would sustain him. Also, this portal allowed other Hylden to
escape.
The Hylden Lord placed Janos in the Device to feed the Mass and begin his
plans to use the Device to destroy all non-Hylden beings in Nosgoth. However,
he still did not have enough forces to take over Nosgoth.
Learning of the Sarafan Order, the Hylden Lord revived it and called himself
the Sarafan Lord. He battled Kain, defeated him and took the Soul Reaver for
himself. Believing Kain was dead, he took fascist control of Nosgoth and
installed the Glyph magic system throughout Nosgoth which would channel the
Mass' power into Nosgoth.
Kain awoke 200 years later, destroyed the Device and Hylden Gate, reclaimed
the Soul Reaver and killed the Sarafan Lord.
18) Why aren't all of Kain's abilities from BO and BO2 in this game?
A: Crystal Dynamics said that they couldn't possibly include every single
ability, as there were so many. Plus, wouldn't the game be incredibly easy if
you did have all of those abilities?
If you want a plot wise explanation, remember that before BO2, Kain was
weakened and lost many of his abilities from BO. As for his abilities in BO2,
he still has Mist Form, Infernal Sundering is Fury, he still has Jump, he
never encounters any non-aggressive (unchained) humans to use Charm upon,
Cadaverous Laceration is Berserk, Telekinesis is TK (duh!) and Immolate, well
I can't explain that.
On the GameFAQs' Defiance message board, someone (apologies, I can't recall
who it was) suggested a theory that Kain prefers to toy with his victims
rather than just easily and boringly implode them all from a distance. (I
suppose, he doesn't use his super-abilities against Raziel since he didn't
intend to defeat Raziel and didn't use them against the Elder God since he
wanted to test out his newly enhanced Soul Reaver).
19) Why have you called them Light, Dark, Fire etc. Temples? Aren't they the
Light, Dark, Fire etc. forges?
A: The Reaver forges in SR2 are different from the forges in Defiance. Raziel
called it the Light Temple himself and I chose that name in avoid confusion
with SR2's forges.
20) What happened to Moebius' voice? He sounds completely different from SR2!
A: The reason why Moebius doesn't sound like his SR2 counterpart is because
in SR2, he was pretending to be a weak, addling old man so that he could fool
Raziel into underestimating him.
In Defiance, both Raziel and Kain know what he truly is, so there is no
reason now for him to continue the pretence.
Besides, did you not notice his voice change when he cornered Raziel in the
Stronghold with Malek in SR2?
21) In BO, Mortanius gave the 'Come to me, my undead son' message just a few
moments after Moebius' death. How then is Moebius still alive after Mortanius
says it in this game?
A: Some have theorised that Mortanius was merely making a recording and was
not talking to Kain live.
22) Will there be another game?
A: I must've seen this question a thousand times in e-mails and forum
messages.
Chris Bruno, Test Manager at Crystal Dynamics, has promised there is at least
one more planned and it is currently 'in the works'. He has provided no other
information in these past two years.
I had originally believed that it would be released in 2005 due to the 2-year
gaps between SR and SR2, SR2 and Defiance. But with the lack of LOK news at
E3, I highly doubt this is so. This may mean that it will be released next
year and possibly on the next-generation consoles.
The reason for the lack of LOK news is probably due to the current financial
situation with Eidos being brought out by a new organisation. Hopefully this
new organisation will allow Crystal Dynamics to continue with the LOK series.
It won't be called Soul Reaver 3 because Defiance is Soul Reaver 3 (with
Kain) and besides the Soul Reaver arc of the story is finished now (so it
won't be called Soul Reaver 4 either).
It probably won't be called Blood Omen 3 as when Defiance was announced,
Chris Bruno of Crystal Dynamics told us that the Blood Omen and Soul Reaver
series were being united under Defiance and all future games will be called
'Legacy of Kain: (Name)'.
23) What exactly is the Scion of Balance?
A: It is the vampire Balance Guardian who is prophesised to save Nosgoth and
return the Pillars to vampire hands.
24) Why isn't this on GameCube? BO2 was on GameCube.
A: In 2003, Eidos cut its support for the Nintendo console and BO2 didn't
sell particularly well for GameCube anyway.
25) Why is Kain still vulnerable to water? He received water resistance in
BO/Rahab gained water immunity so he should too shouldn't he?
A: The water resistance Kain gained in BO was only for rain and snow i.e.
small volumes of water. Notice that in SR2, he stands in the rain and in
Defiance, he stands whilst it's snowing and he's not in the least affected.
Kain did not necessarily gain the abilities of his lieutenants. Raziel only
says in SR, that Kain would evolve, then Raziel, Turel, Dumah etc. He never
said that Kain gained his lieutenants abilities.
The reasons why he has climbing and telekinesis is because obviously his
claws have evolved to become sharper, sharp enough to penetrate rock, and he
already had telekinesis in BO and BO2.
26) Why did Raziel only decide continue his journey to resurrect Janos when
Vorador showed him his body? He was so eager at the end of SR2.
A: Raziel assumed that Janos' body would've been long decomposed by now,
hence his line 'But there's no sign of decay'.
27) Why is Kain in Vorador's Mansion and the Cemetery in so many of the
preview screenshots and trailers? Is this an indication of deleted material?
A: When those screenshots were taken/trailers were made, many of Kain's areas
(Pillars, Vampire Citadel, and Avernus) had not been created properly and so
he was placed in some of Raziel's areas.
28) Will Raziel return?
A: Sorry Raziel fans, but it's extremely unlikely. Raziel needs to stay in
the Reaver for the Wraith Blade to be created in SR.
Without the Wraith Blade, Raziel could not repair the broken Soul Reaver in
SR2, enter any of the Reaver forges and temples etc. A lot of the events in
SR2 and Defiance rely on Raziel having the Wraith Blade. If Raziel escapes
the Reaver not only does it cheapen his sacrifice, it changes too much of
history, perhaps resulting in a fatal paradox.
This could remove Raziel from the timeline hence ensuring that Nosgoth is
damned with absolutely no hope of salvation.
Perhaps, Crystal Dynamics will place a code to play as Raziel in the next
game?
29) Why did the Elder God resurrect Moebius if he was 'no further use to
(it)'?
A: I assume that Moebius had already accomplished what the Elder God had
resurrected him for by the time Raziel devours his soul.
What this was exactly, I am unsure about but it may have something to do with
Moebius' line, '(The Hylden) will be dealt with in time'.
30) How did Kain change history in BO and SR2 if Raziel is the only being to
possess free will?
A: Raziel possesses true free will and apparently never did need a temporal
distortion to change history.
It's everyone else (including Kain) that requires the temporal distortion,
which allows them temporary free will during that moment.
31) Because Kain knows the events of BO2, why doesn't he show up in that
game?
A: Because he knows that his younger self can kill the Sarafan Lord and hence
he has no reason to intervene. Also, Kain knows that his intervention could
possibly have adverse effects on the timeline.
32) Why was the Wraith Blade green when Raziel threatened Kain in Avernus?
A: This, along with the green eyes and maniacal laughter, was to show that
Hylden were influencing him and incensing his rage.
33) Why do the Revenants attack Raziel if he is their saviour?
A: I assume that the Revenants are aware that Raziel is trying to become the
Vampire Saviour and thus are trying to stop him. This is supported of one of
the first things they said to him, 'Renegade and traitor'.
34) One of the murals shows Vorador forging the Reaver, but the Reaver was
forged before the Hylden banishment and the Ancients started turning humans
into vampires afterwards. Isn't this mural contradictory?
A: My assumption is that the human Vorador was amicable with the Ancients and
was willing to forge the Reaver for them. Once the Ancients told him of their
dilemma of being unable to reproduce, perhaps Vorador willingly allowed them
to be their first blood curse vampire.
35) Why doesn't Kain summon Vorador with his ring? Vorador is alive in the
eras that he visits.
A: Kain probably feels that he doesn't need Vorador's help and can handle
things himself. Plus, it would be time consuming and tedious to explain to
Vorador, his intentions for Nosgoth. (Also, note that BO2 shows that Kain
doesn't trust Vorador.)
There is, of course, the idea that perhaps Kain has just forgotten that the
ring is on his ear, but this theory just seems silly.
'Archon Shiva' theorises that Vorador's ring lost its power when Vorador was
executed and is unable to regain its power.
36) Could Janos have resurrected Vorador? There is an opportunity for him to
do so (when Raziel is in the Spirit Forge).
A: Unfortunately, this theory can't be as Vorador is genuinely surprised to
see Janos alive in BO2 and Janos is highly unlikely to not let Vorador know
of his resurrection.
37) Why isn't there a temporal distortion when Raziel is being absorbed into
the Reaver in this game?
A: This is a good question but there's a reason for it.
When Raziel was being absorbed into the Reaver in SR2, there was indeed a
temporal distortion but not until the moment when his soul was almost fully
absorbed. This explains why there was no distortion in Avernus. Raziel had
not been connected to the Reaver (via Kain) for long enough.
The temporal distortion was caused by the Wraith Blade being both inside and
outside the Reaver in SR2. But in the Spirit Forge, it was the Spirit Reaver
possessing the Reaver that was absorbing Raziel's soul. The regular Wraith
Blade (Raziel's soul) and the purified Spirit Reaver are significantly
different for there to be no distortion.
38) Why has the layout of area around the Pillars/Sarafan Stronghold changed
since SR2?
A: Merely for gameplay variety, I suppose. The LOK games would become
somewhat repetitive if there was the same map for all the games.
Though, I do admit it seems rather silly to *completely* change the layout
from that of SR2.
39) How on earth does Raziel think looks similar to the Hylden Saviour?
A: The Hylden Saviour has fiery eyes and a flaming sword. Raziel made the
connection to his own glowing eyes and Wraith Blade.
40) How did Raziel manage to send Kain into the Demon Dimension?
A: Crystal Dynamics have told us that Raziel's TK blast was so strong that he
blasted Kain through the barrier between dimensions. Additionally, the
corruption of the Pillars and weakening of the Binding assisted in this.
41) Why does Raziel not have to activate the Light and Dark forges?
A: The elements of darkness and light do not have principles aligned to them
and hence have no Guardians guarding them.
42) How did Turel become so deranged?
A: Turel has become insane from being trapped in a confined space for years
and being repeatedly possessed by Hylden as they command the Cenobites.
43) How long was Turel in the Avernus pit?
A: As it was Azimuth who brought him there, he must've been there for a
maximum of 500 years (i.e. the oldest possible age of Azimuth as we know a
former Dimension Guardian was killed 500 years prior to BO).
44) How did Vorador manage to retrieve Janos' body if the retreat had
collapsed and sealed off all the entrances?
A: Vorador probably used his teleportation abilities to get up there.
45) In SR, vampires could only be killed by being impaled or burnt. Why is it
then that Kain can be killed in this game?
A: If you look carefully, Kain actually doesn't die. When his blood meter is
depleted, he turns to bat form to fly to the last checkpoint and recover.
46) How did you tell which Guardian was which in the plot summary?
A: By watching what type of attacks they used, it was really common sense to
work out which Guardian they were. I remembered what they looked like and
went back to the cutscene where they spoke to work out which Guardian said
what.
47) How does Kain have the Soul Reaver in BO if the older Kain has taken it
500 years before?
A: It's likely that Kain is aware that he will need to make sure that he
returns the Soul Reaver to its correct position in the timeline (the Sarafan
Era) to ensure history follows correctly.
Hence Kain will probably return the Reaver to the Sarafan Era in a future
game.
48) Why did Raziel not gain an ability after defeating Turel like he did when
he defeated the other brothers?
A: Raziel did get a new ability - the enhanced TK powers. I'm not entirely
sure how you could've missed this.
Turel's special ability is that of telekinesis as shown by how he
telekinetically throws Raziel if the 'ring attack' grips Raziel. Also,
remember how in SR, the Turelim had the power to fire telekinetic projectiles
at Raziel and how *Raziel got his TK projectile ability from a Turelim*?
49) In SR2, the Reaver made Raziel invincible. Why doesn't it do the same for
Kain?
A: Some have theorised that it wasn't actually the Reaver that was making him
invincible but rather fate ensuring that he kills all the Sarafan
Inquisitors.
50) I don't understand the ending. What does Kain mean?
A: Kain has always been a fatalist (at least in SR, SR2 and Defiance) and has
felt resigned to his fate. Despite all his actions to try to defy fate, he
still subconsciously feels it is futile, feeling that hope was a 'terrible
illusion'. Raziel's sacrifice finally gave him some genuine hope that Nosgoth
may yet be restored one day.
51) How did Kain know how to go straight to the Spirit Forge?
A: As Ariel explained earlier, the Spirit Forge summoned *every* Balance
Guardian to it. Since Kain is a Balance Guardian, he felt the summoning also.
He says as much as soon as you escape the Demon Realm.
52) Now that Kain has been purified, does this mean the Balance Pillar is
restored?
A: Possibly. Perhaps not in the BO era, but then in the future Nosgothic
wasteland of SR.
Some theorise that this is how Ariel was able to appear before Raziel in the
Spirit Forge when she was supposedly bound to the Pillars until the Balance
Pillar was restored.
53) What happened to the Wraith Blade after Raziel was consumed into the
Reaver? Did it go into the Reaver too?
A: This question has raised many problems over how the Wraith Blade would
continue to be merged with Raziel's soul within the Reaver again and again,
growing stronger and stronger in each loop of the timeline.
(This has been used by Raziel fanatics as a theoretical way of bringing
Raziel back whilst avoiding the inevitable timeline problems; however this
theory is likely to be void for reasons which will be explained in the
following paragraph)
According to Crystal Dynamics, this didn't happen; instead it 'went into'
Kain and purified him.
(However, when the Soul Reaver is created it glows with blue and *white*
energy for some reason.)
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9. FAQS by LOKFanatic
#######################################################
As of Saturday 13th August 2005, LOKFanatic has written: -
1. A Comprehensive Plot Guide of the Legacy of Kain Series
2. A FAQ to the Bonus Materials of Soul Reaver 2 -The Legacy of Kain Series-
#######################################################
10. Authorised Sites
#######################################################
As of Saturday 13th August 2005, these sites have been authorised to host
this Plot Guide: -
<www.gamefaqs.com>
<ps2.ign.com>
<www.neoseeker.com>
GameFAQs will always have the latest update of this Plot Guide.
#######################################################
11. Contact
#######################################################
If you do not follow these guidelines, your question will be ignored or you
will be banned from my inbox.
Type something like 'Defiance Questions' in the Subject box.
Only send me questions relating to the plot; no gameplay questions!
Please type your e-mail in *English*! That is the only language I am fluent
in.
Please make your e-mail reasonably understandable! That means no 1337 or txt
speak!
Please do not include profanity in your e-mails.
Please type e-mails in easily readable font sizes (about 10 should do)
Provide *evidence* to back up your theories.
Do not send me HTML e-mails.
Do not send me image/mp3/movie/etc. files or any other type of attachment
without authorisation.
Do not send me e-mails bashing Crystal Dynamics/Silicon Knights/Eidos etc.
MOST IMPORTANTLY: Please read the Plot Guide thoroughly before sending in a
question. I really don't like it when people send me questions already
answered.
Please run virus scanners before you send me an e-mail.
Remember that I am just a fan like you, I am not an employee of Crystal
Dynamics, I don't know all the answers. Although I have a good grasp of the
story there may be times where I answer your question incorrectly or am
unable to.
Finally, don't expect an immediate answer as I only check my e-mail twice a
week.
You can e-mail me 'LOKFanatic' at <lokfanatic@hotmail.com>
You may also see me on the following forums in the following names: -
Eidos Forums: LOKFan (Not LOKFanatic, Lok_fan or LOKFanaticTaker)
GameFAQs message boards: LOKFanatic
Legacy of Kain.net forums: LOKFanatic
Wolf's Realm: LOKFanatic
You may also be able to contact me on AOL Instant Messenger as
'LegacyFanatic' but I'm very rarely on it and only at the weekend
(Morning/Afternoon GMT).
#######################################################
12. Copyright
#######################################################
Copyright 2003-2005 Timothy 'LOKFanatic' Tang.
The Legacy of Kain series is copyright to Crystal Dynamics and Eidos.
This plot guide is intended only for public reading on the Internet. It
cannot be reproduced without permission, sold or plagiarized in any way,
shape or form. Only the author may make alterations to this document. Breach
of these rules is a violation of copyright.
#######################################################
13. Credits
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Thanks to: -
- God for creating life, the universe and everything.
- My parents for giving life to me and raising me.
- Jeff 'CJayC' Veasey for hosting past, present (and hopefully future)
versions of this Plot Guide and all my other FAQs.
- IGN and Neoseeker for hosting this Plot Guide on their sites.
- Silicon Knights and Crystal Dynamics for making such great games.
- All the LOK fans who gave praise to this guide.
- Everyone who sent in constructive questions and theories with sound
evidence.
'Our futures are predestined. It is my fate that I write this and yours to
you read it. Free will is an illusion.'